Aoyuan International’s upcoming M2M mixed-use community of nearly nine acres in North York will welcome Asian supermarket H Mart as its anchor tenant.

The Toronto outpost of the world’s largest Korean-American supermarket chain will span 36,000 square feet and offer authentic Asian and international groceries. A food hall will feature ready-to-eat dishes and baked goods like taiyaki – the popular fish shaped pastry with sweet red bean filling. H Mart, which stands for Han Ah Reum, a Korean phrase meaning “one arm full of groceries,” will also be stocked with K-beauty brands and other cosmetics that are difficult to find at more conventional drugstores. This will also be H Mart’s flagship Canadian location.

As plans unfold for M2M’s five residential towers, a community centre, public park and a daycare, the store will ultimately immerse locals in Korean culture and cuisines.

Fan Yang, general manager of Aoyuan Canada, says he’s thrilled to be welcoming H Mart to the site. “We are seeing increasing demand for cultural diversity in retail, and M2M is a very diverse community,” he says. “This flagship location will offer fresh produce, multicultural goods, and authentic ready-to-eat meals.

“Our vision for M2M is to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle and part of how we make this accessible for our residents and to the broader North York community is by partnering with a leading grocer like H Mart.”

Aoyuan International is transforming a dated shopping plaza and parking lot near the intersection of Yonge St. and Finch Ave.