Texas' first Seafood City Supermarket opens in Sugar Land

[TBoneTX 45,077]

For anyone within reach who's interested, a full-sized Filipino supermarket is now open in the Houston area.  Here's a nice report from a news station:

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An inside look:  Texas' first Seafood City Supermarket opens in Sugar Land

 

The supermarket specializing in Filipino foods is the first Seafood City to open in the state of Texas.

This is not a mom and pop sized store, this is a 50,000 square foot store with a Filipino specialty bakery and a Filipino Bar-B-Que restaurant located inside.

Seafood City Supermarket, first founded in San Diego in 1989 has quickly grown to 32 stores nationwide and the stores that are being opened are being strategically located in communities with the largest populations of Filipino-Americans.

"Seafood City brings a sense of Filipino home to the Houston area.  It's a place where you can find products and ingredients specifically for Filipino dishes," said Meg Austria, store manager.  [...]

 

Story with video continues here:

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/01/02/an-inside-look-texas-first-seafood-city-supermarket-opens-in-sugar-land/

[top_secret 2,384]

Seafood City is incredibly popular. Usually the stores are, or become an anchor point for a whole host of well known Filipino businesses.  Surly there is or will be a Jollibee's, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, Goldilocks LBC, and a few local Filipino restaurants in the immediate surrounding neighborhood.

[TBoneTX 45,077]

48 minutes ago, top_secret said:

there is or will be a Jollibee's, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, Goldilocks LBC, and a few local Filipino restaurants in the immediate surrounding neighborhood.

I haven't paid attention (not connected to the Filipino community in greater Houston or anywhere), but I do remember seeing a Jollibee's several miles away.  I'll keep an eye out for reports of any of these others.

 

It's very clear that the Filipino community is thrilled at the supermarket's opening, and I'm sure that it will do very well.  I thought it cool that the store manager's last name is Austria, but she's Filipina -- a walking United Nations all on her own.   

[top_secret 2,384]

13 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

It's very clear that the Filipino community is thrilled at the supermarket's opening, and I'm sure that it will do very well.

 

Not to spread stereotypes about common vocational choices of Filipino immigrants, but the store is rather strategically located near a very large medical complex that employs over 3,000 medical workers. 😁  (including a Saint Luke's hospital😮)  I'm sure it will be a very successful location.

 

I checked the map and the Jollibee's in Houston are somewhat far from the new Seafood City so I believe it is now somewhat obligatory that a new one must be opened nearby in the not too distant future.

 

Seafood City is a full supermarket but if you go for the fish they have fresh fish on ice which you can bag up and take it up to the counter where they will clean it and cut it to your specifications at no charge.

[RO_AH 1,659]

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

 

Not to spread stereotypes about common vocational choices of Filipino immigrants, but the store is rather strategically located near a very large medical complex that employs over 3,000 medical workers. 😁  (including a Saint Luke's hospital😮)  I'm sure it will be a very successful location.

 

I checked the map and the Jollibee's in Houston are somewhat far from the new Seafood City so I believe it is now somewhat obligatory that a new one must be opened nearby in the not too distant future.

 

Seafood City is a full supermarket but if you go for the fish they have fresh fish on ice which you can bag up and take it up to the counter where they will clean it and cut it to your specifications at no charge.

We have a Jolibee's inside of our Seafood City, and Red Ribbon.

[TBoneTX 45,077]

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

the store is rather strategically located near a very large medical complex that employs over 3,000 medical workers

Sherlock Holmes lurks in the Phils forum!   

The store is actually something like 17 to 20 miles from the huge Texas Medical Center.

Conversely, it's very near some branch hospitals (including St. Luke's) in Sugar Land.

Regardless, the distance wouldn't stop determined or delighted Filipinos from visiting the store.

 

A Jollibee's is in Missouri City, another Houston suburb, but a few miles down, so another would need to go in nearer the new store.

 

I indeed heard that the selection of fresh fish at the store is commendable.

 

Y'know, next time I'm in the area, I'll have to visit this store and report back on the traffic, product selection, and what's inside or nearby.  I probably wouldn't ever have paid this store much mind if not for "Hey -- maybe the VJ Phils forum might appreciate the news."

[top_secret 2,384]

30 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Sherlock Holmes lurks in the Phils forum!   

The store is actually something like 17 to 20 miles from the huge Texas Medical Center.

Conversely, it's very near some branch hospitals (including St. Luke's) in Sugar Land.

Regardless, the distance wouldn't stop determined or delighted Filipinos from visiting the store.

 

Per my Wikipedia sleuthing 😁 🤣  I was counting Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital employs 2,400, and Saint Luke's ~500 within a couple miles plus quite a few smaller medical facilities in the immediate area. Maybe not a "complex" but seems a health care oriented neighborhood. I'm guessing there might be a lot of Filipinos working around there (according to popular stereotypes about common vocational choices of Filipino immigrants😁)

[TBoneTX 45,077]

8 hours ago, top_secret said:

I was counting Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital employs 2,400, and Saint Luke's ~500 within a couple miles plus quite a few smaller medical facilities in the immediate area.

Aha, and yes.  To my memory, Memorial Hermann also has a hospital around there, and a smorgasbord of independent emergency and urgent-care places.  Of course, many doctors' offices, too.

8 hours ago, top_secret said:

I'm guessing there might be a lot of Filipinos working around there

You very well may be right, and your stereotyping of Filipino vocational choices is forgiven!   

[TBoneTX 45,077]

I finally visited the new Seafood City.  It's where an old Tuesday Morning store had closed.  Large, bright, spotlessly clean, massively comprehensive inventory, all shelves stocked full, and a food court.

 

It wasn't super-busy when I visited (a Saturday noontime); most customers seemed to be elderly folks or middle-aged/younger families.  The cashiers, conversely, were mostly young Americans.  I was impressed that most checkout lanes were staffed, unlike many U.S. supermarkets where one or two lanes are staffed and customers with melting purchases are backed up halfway into the store.

 

I went up and down every aisle, looking carefully at the products.  The frozen sections and open refrigerated cases emphasized seafood, certainly understandable for an island nation.  The snack chips were probably more diverse than in U.S. supermarkets.

 

The prices were higher than I typically care to pay, and they're understandable in view of imported and specialty products.  I did buy a bag of frozen "Gyoza chicken dumplings" to try, for about $6.59 if I recall.  Mini-Bone and I tried these dumplings for lunch that same day, and they were very tasty.  We finished the bag today for lunch.

 

I'd say that anyone wanting authentic Filipino chow would not walk out from this place empty-handed or disappointed!  The visit was enjoyable and educational, and I appreciate the introduction to a culinary culture previously strange to me.  Maybe I'll go back sometime.