Mega Mart, a Korean grocery chain, is preparing to open a new location in East Palo Alto. The company has applied for permits to occupy the former Target building at 1775 E Bayshore Road. Target closed its doors in September 2024, citing underperformance.
The East Palo Alto site will be Mega Mart’s fourth planned location in the Bay Area, following stores in Sunnyvale, Fremont, and an upcoming site in Dublin. A 2025 opening is anticipated, although an exact timeline has not been confirmed. The company has not yet begun renovation work but has formally entered the city’s permitting process.
The former Target building remains part of the Gateway 101 Shopping Center, a busy retail development near Highway 101 and University Avenue. The center includes other major tenants such as Nordstrom Rack and IKEA.
Transformation of the Site Over Time
The area now occupied by Gateway 101 has undergone major changes over the last several decades. In 1948, aerial imagery shows that the land was used primarily for agriculture, with scattered homes and open fields.
By the 1950s, Ravenswood High School was constructed on the site. It served as East Palo Alto’s only public high school until it closed in 1976. A running track and open athletic fields remained into the early 1990s, visible in historical satellite images from 1991.
Demolition of the remaining school structures and redevelopment planning followed in the 1990s. By 2000, the Gateway 101 Shopping Center was completed, bringing national retailers to the city. The retail center was part of a broader effort to revitalize East Palo Alto’s economy and provide local access to goods and services.
Mega Mart is a grocery chain based in Seoul, South Korea. The company launched its U.S. expansion in 2009 with a flagship location in Duluth, Georgia.
Known for Korean and Asian grocery selections, the store typically features prepared foods, fresh fish, a gluten-free bakery, and imported household items. Mega Mart has recently increased its footprint in Northern California, with two stores open and two more in development.
The East Palo Alto location will be its first in San Mateo County. The company has not yet announced specific opening dates or planned modifications to the former Target site.
Last Updated on March 24, 2025 by F. E. Mufute