Filipino grocery chain Seafood City hosting grand opening with freebies in Chandler

North America’s largest Filipino grocery chain will celebrate Arizona’s first location at Chandler Fashion Center on Thursday.

Seafood City’s grand opening begins at 9 a.m. and will feature performances and giveaways, said Patricia Francisco, the company’s director of digital growth and events.

“We’re going to have a special program with surprise performances,” Francisco told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “We’re also going to be offering a special 15-pound bag of rice for only $1 to the first 200 customers with a minimum purchase of $35.”

Francisco expects a large crowd on opening day.

“Specific to the Arizona store as well is we’ve really expanded our offerings and the assortment of items and even food concepts that we’re bringing to bring out more Asian flavors,” Francisco said. “And we really are importing over 10,000 items from all around the world, so it’s something that people can look forward to be able to discover new dishes, new items and even new dishes that they can cook at home.”

The 65,000-square-foot Filipino market is located at the mall near Chandler Boulevard and Price Road. It will sell Filipino groceries, hard-to-find fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood and kitchen supplies. The store will also have a health and beauty section.

What makes Chandler’s Seafood City unique?

The Chandler store is Seafood City’s 39th location. President Matthew Go said the company has evolved beyond a traditional grocery store to meet customers’ changing needs.

“Over the years, we have evolved from being just a grocer to one that kind of serves in many aspects as the evolving market has changed,” Go told KTAR News.

That evolution includes an expanded food hall, a broader selection of Filipino and Asian products, and more convenience items in the seafood, meat and produce departments.

“In this store specifically, we’ll have a very large live selection of seafood, and we also have a really large function hall for corporate events or celebrations or parties related to that,” Go said.

The Chandler location will also offer more dining concepts than the company’s California stores, which typically include the Filipino bakery Baker’s Avenue and the restaurant Grill City.

“For Arizona, we actually are introducing a lot more concepts,” Francisco said. “These are seven brands that will be available during the grand opening and one that’s additionally open — that’s a Crab Market coming later on.”

Baker’s Avenue will sell freshly baked breads, biscuits, pastries and cakes, including Filipino specialties such as pandesal, ensaymada and biscocho. Grill City serves Filipino-style pork and chicken barbecue, stuffed squid, adobo and other dishes.

The market’s food hall will feature several restaurants serving Asian street food. Among them will be Crab Market, a new Seafood City concept specializing in crustaceans and shellfish.

Related

Arizona unemployment rises despite faster job growthArizona Boardwalk breaks ground on new Hyatt Place Hotel at Talking Stick ResortArizona events give residents chance to adopt trained, untrained wild burrosConstruction begins on 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse in PhoenixIce cream shop moving into historic Tempe home after $500K city restorationTempe Marketplace welcomes 5 additions, including newly opened Carhartt