The Fitting Korean Meaning Behind The 'H' In H Mart

If you're lucky enough to live near an H Mart, or have read the best-selling 2021 memoir "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner, you're already familiar with the beloved Asian grocery store. From strawberry-flavored Kit Kats to whole, live crabs and an in-store food court, the grocery chain carries all kinds of interesting and delicious Asian foods, many of which are hard to find in other American supermarkets. But what exactly does the "H" in H Mart stand for? 

Well, while H Mart itself started in Queens, New York, the name comes from the Korean phrase "han ah reum," meaning "one armful of groceries." And where better to get your armful of groceries once you've brushed up on Asian supermarket shopping tips than your local H Mart? 

The original H Mart was actually called "Han Ah Reum" when it first opened its doors in 1982 in Queens' Woodside neighborhood, home to a large Asian population. That included Koreans, and H Mart founder Il Yeon Kwon chose a neighborhood where a percentage of the population would likely understand the store's name. Eventually, though, the original Woodside store would become an H Mart as well.

Armed with a memorable name and a wide selection of products for customers to choose from, H Mart set its sights on expansion. From the 1980s into the 1990s, branches would open across the greater New York City area and elsewhere in the northeastern United States. In the 1990s, the chain expanded into the Washington, DC area, specifically in Falls Church, Virginia, another area with a large Korean community. Later on, the chain brought the extra-large Super H Mart to the forefront; there's one in Duluth, Georgia, since 2024.

Today, you can find H Marts across the United States, including locations as far south as Texas and Florida, and as far west as California. In fact, in January 2026, the company announced plans for an extra-large H Mart in Fremont, California, which will be the largest H Mart to date. But H Mart doesn't end in the U.S. It also has multiple locations in Canada, and even a European branch, in the New Malden neighborhood of London, England. H Mart is even available on your phone, as one of the American ethnic grocery chains with a longstanding online footprint.