“I checked out nearby Safeway and Giant stores, and they didn’t have a good international foods selection,” Kim said of the reason behind expanding to Ashburn, adding that his nearest competition would probably be the Grand Mart in Sterling, about eight miles away.
Ashburn will be the company’s third location. The Global Food in Woodbridge caters to a large Asian clientele, while the Manassas store stocks more food items from Central and South America to cater to that community’s large Hispanic population.
Reviews of the stores have been mostly positive. On Yelp.com, one poster wrote: "If you are looking for the most bizarre product, you will find it here." Still another praised the freshness and prices of the produce and called the Woodbridge store "the best ethnic grocery store I have ever been to!"
Kim said the Ashburn store will offer Korean, American, Latino, Japanese, East Asian and Middle Eastern fare. It will also feature a deli, bank, bakery, pharmacy and shops selling flowers, jewelry and gifts. In addition, it will have a restaurant serving Korean, Chinese and Japanese dishes.
Kim is excited by the area’s wealth of potential customers.
“There are a lot of houses in Ashburn,” he pointed out.
To store is currently looking to sublease some of its space for inside shops. See www.theglobalfood.com to learn more.
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The prices of the vegetables at Grand Mart Sterling are pretty good. I thought this store was part of the Grand Mart chain. They have one in Centerville and one in Fairfax. Hopefully this store also will stock fresh vegetables at competitive prices.