A 260,100 square foot Vietnamese indoor market is expected to replace the former Sears department store in East San José.
San Jose-based business executive Don Van Tron planned to develop a space that reflects the indoor markets in Vietnam.
“Vietnamese people have good memories of these markets from our country,” Tron said to The Mercury News.
According to The Mercury News, the market would consist of food courts including 50 food booths, a banquet hall, an entertainment center, common areas, a children’s play center, and free weekend entertainment. There would also be a space for merchandise, Vietnamese produce, traditional clothing, jewelry, and other services.
“Each booth will offer cuisine including Vietnamese specialties such as beef noodle soup, chicken noodle soup, vermicelli noodles, hot pot, vegetarian food, sticky rice, bread, spring rolls, salad roll, and tea from the most famous Vietnamese restaurants in California, out of state, and from Vietnam,” according to the development concept.
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The development concept also stated some booths will also sell traditional foods from China, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.
“Hello Ben Thanh Indoor Market” is the proposed name of the market. The name is inspired by one of the biggest markets in Ho Chi Minh City.
The market would connect directly to the Eastridge Center shopping mall. It could help increase foot traffic at the mall. According to The Los Angeles Times, struggling malls have begun to see grocery stores as a way to increase business. The addition of the Asian grocery store chain 99 Ranch Market at Westfield Oakridge mall in San Jose increased foot traffic by 10 percent.
There is no set date for when the market will open.
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