Newly opened Asia Food Market is off to a fast start

SYRACUSE –– About six weeks after its grand opening on March 1, the co-owner of the Asia Food Market at 1449 Erie Blvd. E. says his business has already generated about $300,000 in sales.

Qing Li, 45, co-owns the new market with his business partner, Rockey Ren. 

Li says his store averages more than 1,000 customers on weekdays and 1,500 to 2,000 customers on weekends.

“We’re busy now,” Li says. “Early mornings [especially], we have a rush.”

The 25,000-square-foot space, which used to be home to Stevens Office Interiors, is now owned by Ren Li Trading Inc., according to Onondaga County’s online property records. The property is assessed at $974,200 for this year. Its full market value is nearly $1.2 million.

 Asia Food Market offers fresh live seafood, prepared and frozen foods, fruits and vegetables, sauces and spices, cookware, and roasted pig and duck. Li says he plans to add a Cantonese-style, dim sum dine-in restaurant on the second floor in four to five months.

Li says his goal is to offer a comprehensive Asian food experience for his market’s growing customer base.

“We try to provide a convenient spot for people,” Li says.

Li and Ren opened a similar market, also called Asia Food Market, near Rochester 10 years ago. Li says many of his customers used to drive up to two hours to shop at the Rochester store. They came from as far as Oswego and Watertown, and wanted a closer location.

That’s when Li explored the idea of opening a market in Syracuse.

“They always [said] you need a location in Central New York,” he says regarding his traveling customers. “We hope now we can get people in Binghamton to drive up.”

Li contends that the growing Asian population in Syracuse, particularly at Syracuse University (SU), will help his new business venture to succeed. 

Asians make up 3.4 percent of the Onondaga County population, according to a 2013 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. In the city of Syracuse, Asians accounted for 5.5 percent of the population, as of 2010, the bureau reported. 

SU has about 1,350 Asian American students and 2,300 international students hailing from countries in East Asia, according to SU data. Li says he’s been seeing a steady flow of SU students shopping at the market.

 “They like real Chinese food, something close to their home style,” he says.

But the market’s target audience isn’t just Asians or Asian Americans, Li says. He wants the store to be for everyone who enjoys Asian food. 

Competing with other Asian markets

Asia Food Market’s direct competitors are just down the road. Eastern Supermarket, located at 2406 Erie Blvd. E., and Han’s Oriental Grocery, at 2731 Erie Blvd. E., sell similar Asian foods. However, Li says he isn’t worried about the competition.

What differentiates his store, Li says, is that it will be a one-stop shop for all East Asian food, whether it’s Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Filipino cuisine. In comparison, Han’s Oriental Grocery sells mostly Korean food. And while Eastern Supermarket sells a similar variety of East Asian foods, its store is not as large as Asia Food Market. Also, neither Han’s nor Eastern Supermarket has an eatery component that serves prepared Asian food.

Inside the market

A variety of fruits and vegetables line the black shelves upon entering the Asia Food Market. From gingers and squash to pears and lettuce, customers can buy the produce in bulk or pay by the pound. 

On the right side of the store, large quantities of seafood are displayed prominently on ice. This part of the market offers different types of fish, lobsters, and crabs, which employees will help clean and prepare for the customer. Behind the counter are blue tanks with live fish and other seafood from which customers can choose.

Past the aisles of canned, prepared foods and sauces is a small bakery with baked goods, breads, and sweets. Next to the bakery are whole smoked hogs, roast ducks, and roast pork hanging up behind a small display glass. The barbecued meats are cooked in a smoker, located in the back of the market. When a customer orders the meats, an employee will immediately chop it up and neatly arrange it in a box for the customer to take home.

Adjacent to the bakery is a small lounge area with tables and couches, where customers can sit down to eat or take a break from grocery shopping.

Li’s market is staffed by a diverse group of 18 employees, including six part-time workers. He says he employs a mix of workers, including those of Burmese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese descent.

Moving forward

The Asia Food Markets in Rochester and Syracuse are the first business ventures for Li and Ren. The co-owners, who are both originally from Southern China, had no prior restaurant managing experience before opening in Rochester 10 years ago, according to Li. But he says he is happy with what he deems a successful first few weeks in the Syracuse market. Li says he’s now focused on expanding the customer base here.

Part of his strategy is offering more items that customers like and eliminating things they don’t like. Right now, the fresh seafood seems to be a hit, Li says. He also sees growing popularity with the smoked barbecue meats.

“We’re pretty successful on the roast duck and roast pig,” he says. “The demand was high.” Li says he’s also thinking about adding one additional smoker to meet the demand. 

Another strategy is promoting the market across the Central New York area. Li says most people hear about the store by word of mouth. Others know about it through the Internet and apps like WeChat, a social mobile texting and communication app developed in China.

“Right now, we are on a soft opening,” he says. “We plan to do promotions next month.”

So far, Li and Ren plan to stick with their two current Asia Food Markets, but they are not ruling out opening more in the future.

“If we [are] successful here, we may open more,” Li says.

Asia Food Market is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.        

SYRACUSE –– About six weeks after its grand opening on March 1, the co-owner of the Asia Food Market at 1449 Erie Blvd. E. says his business has already generated about $300,000 in sales.

Qing Li, 45, co-owns the new market with his business partner, Rockey Ren. 

Li says his store averages more than 1,000 customers on weekdays and 1,500 to 2,000 customers on weekends.

“We’re busy now,” Li says. “Early mornings [especially], we have a rush.”

The 25,000-square-foot space, which used to be home to Stevens Office Interiors, is now owned by Ren Li Trading Inc., according to Onondaga County’s online property records. The property is assessed at $974,200 for this year. Its full market value is nearly $1.2 million.

 Asia Food Market offers fresh live seafood, prepared and frozen foods, fruits and vegetables, sauces and spices, cookware, and roasted pig and duck. Li says he plans to add a Cantonese-style, dim sum dine-in restaurant on the second floor in four to five months.

Li says his goal is to offer a comprehensive Asian food experience for his market’s growing customer base.

“We try to provide a convenient spot for people,” Li says.

Li and Ren opened a similar market, also called Asia Food Market, near Rochester 10 years ago. Li says many of his customers used to drive up to two hours to shop at the Rochester store. They came from as far as Oswego and Watertown, and wanted a closer location.

That’s when Li explored the idea of opening a market in Syracuse.

“They always [said] you need a location in Central New York,” he says regarding his traveling customers. “We hope now we can get people in Binghamton to drive up.”

Li contends that the growing Asian population in Syracuse, particularly at Syracuse University (SU), will help his new business venture to succeed. 

Asians make up 3.4 percent of the Onondaga County population, according to a 2013 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. In the city of Syracuse, Asians accounted for 5.5 percent of the population, as of 2010, the bureau reported. 

SU has about 1,350 Asian American students and 2,300 international students hailing from countries in East Asia, according to SU data. Li says he’s been seeing a steady flow of SU students shopping at the market.

 “They like real Chinese food, something close to their home style,” he says.

But the market’s target audience isn’t just Asians or Asian Americans, Li says. He wants the store to be for everyone who enjoys Asian food. 

Competing with other Asian markets

Asia Food Market’s direct competitors are just down the road. Eastern Supermarket, located at 2406 Erie Blvd. E., and Han’s Oriental Grocery, at 2731 Erie Blvd. E., sell similar Asian foods. However, Li says he isn’t worried about the competition.

What differentiates his store, Li says, is that it will be a one-stop shop for all East Asian food, whether it’s Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Filipino cuisine. In comparison, Han’s Oriental Grocery sells mostly Korean food. And while Eastern Supermarket sells a similar variety of East Asian foods, its store is not as large as Asia Food Market. Also, neither Han’s nor Eastern Supermarket has an eatery component that serves prepared Asian food.

Inside the market

A variety of fruits and vegetables line the black shelves upon entering the Asia Food Market. From gingers and squash to pears and lettuce, customers can buy the produce in bulk or pay by the pound. 

On the right side of the store, large quantities of seafood are displayed prominently on ice. This part of the market offers different types of fish, lobsters, and crabs, which employees will help clean and prepare for the customer. Behind the counter are blue tanks with live fish and other seafood from which customers can choose.

Past the aisles of canned, prepared foods and sauces is a small bakery with baked goods, breads, and sweets. Next to the bakery are whole smoked hogs, roast ducks, and roast pork hanging up behind a small display glass. The barbecued meats are cooked in a smoker, located in the back of the market. When a customer orders the meats, an employee will immediately chop it up and neatly arrange it in a box for the customer to take home.

Adjacent to the bakery is a small lounge area with tables and couches, where customers can sit down to eat or take a break from grocery shopping.

Li’s market is staffed by a diverse group of 18 employees, including six part-time workers. He says he employs a mix of workers, including those of Burmese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese descent.

Moving forward

The Asia Food Markets in Rochester and Syracuse are the first business ventures for Li and Ren. The co-owners, who are both originally from Southern China, had no prior restaurant managing experience before opening in Rochester 10 years ago, according to Li. But he says he is happy with what he deems a successful first few weeks in the Syracuse market. Li says he’s now focused on expanding the customer base here.

Part of his strategy is offering more items that customers like and eliminating things they don’t like. Right now, the fresh seafood seems to be a hit, Li says. He also sees growing popularity with the smoked barbecue meats.

“We’re pretty successful on the roast duck and roast pig,” he says. “The demand was high.” Li says he’s also thinking about adding one additional smoker to meet the demand. 

Another strategy is promoting the market across the Central New York area. Li says most people hear about the store by word of mouth. Others know about it through the Internet and apps like WeChat, a social mobile texting and communication app developed in China.

“Right now, we are on a soft opening,” he says. “We plan to do promotions next month.”

So far, Li and Ren plan to stick with their two current Asia Food Markets, but they are not ruling out opening more in the future.

“If we [are] successful here, we may open more,” Li says.

Asia Food Market is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.