Thailand native Chawee Smith has wanted to open her own store ever since she relocated to northwest Ohio 10 years ago. She had worked at other local Asian grocery stores and had decided this was the business for her.
She and her husband Michael, working with with Duke Wheeler and Kurt Pollex of CB Richard Ellis, Reichle Klein, recently
leased the retail store next to Aarons and Office Max at 5115 B Monroe St. from building owner Tom Helberg of Bellevue Investors. “We had searched around looking for the right spot for the store,” Smith noted. “This is an ideal site and really suits our needs. This is a great location in a high traffic area and close to the Westfield Franklin Park Mall area. It is also convenient to our home,” Mrs. Smith added.
Since leasing the space the Smiths have been working diligently to prepare for the mid October opening.
The new grocery will feature an array of international foods including Thai, African, Philippine, Japanese and more. “We will have many kinds of fish, fruits, vegetables, different hot sauces, rices, noodles and teas along with snacks and much more. We also will have an assortment of cooking equipment,” she said.
“If we do not have something on the shelves customers want, we may be able to order it for them,” Mrs. Smith pointed out. “While we have a well-stocked store, we will respond to customer requests for specific items.”
Originally posted in Sylvania Advantage.