In the shell of a former Lunds & Byerlys on St. Paul's East Side, Ne and Son Dao have quietly opened their second Ha Tien grocery, a makeover that's emblematic of the city's shifting demographics.
Where there used to be ready-made meals and artisan cheeses, the Daos soon will sell the banh mi sandwiches that are so popular at their first Ha Tien. In the spot where flowers from Bachman's were displayed are rows of Mexican candy and flavored soda.
The store at 1959 Suburban Av. appears to be one of the largest Asian markets in the Twin Cities. Its location, just off Interstate 94 at N. Ruth Street, is more convenient to shoppers in the eastern suburbs and western Wisconsin.
"I think we are in the middle of all the communities," said co-owner Ne Dao. "Because this place is bigger, we want to specialize for everybody. I have a lot of Hmong customers. I try to get all the items that they need. I have Filipino customers, which I have their products already. I have Japanese products and Mexican products and African products."
The building opened as a Byerlys in 1971. But as it continued to experience declining sales, Edina-based Lunds & Byerlys Inc. decided to close it in March. It sold the 50,000-square-foot building to the Daos in June for $4.8 million, including about $180,000 worth of equipment.
At the time, Lunds & Byerlys Chief Executive Tres Lund said the firm was happy the building was being picked up by "another independent retailer that has a passion for this neighborhood and a proven ability to meet and exceed the needs of their customers."
David Livingston, a supermarket research analyst in Milwaukee, said ethnic groceries in many cities grow by acquiring property from retailers that are considered to be traditional. "The neighborhoods change and demographics change," he said.
The first Ha Tien was opened by Son Dao and his parents on University Avenue in 1996, when there weren't many Asian grocery stores in the Twin Cities to serve a growing wave of immigrants.