Owner of Oriental Supermarket plans to open independent grocery store in Kelowna’s North End

The site of the former OK Builders Supply building just north of downtown Kelowna is slated to become a 15,000 square foot grocery store by next summer.

That’s the target date to open, Don Pham, owner of Kelowna’s Oriental Supermarket and two Yamato restaurants, told iNFOnews.ca today, Nov. 20.

“We’re sure we’ll have a grocery store there,” Pham said.

He has preliminary approval from the city to rezone the Ellis Street property south of Bay Avenue from industrial to retail use but needs to do a bit more work before getting final approval.

OK Builders closed earlier this year. 

The Oriental Supermarket has been in Kelowna since 1995, specializing in food and other products from all over the world. It will remain at its current location on Highway 97 in Rutland.

While his plans are still preliminary, he said the new store will be more of a traditional grocery store with produce, meats and other products seen in regular grocery stores.

It will also have hot food take-a-way and “grab and go stuff,” Pham said.

He doesn’t have a name picked for the store but did say it will be an independent store and not part of a chain.

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