DOMINIC ARMATO

Exclusive: Mega international market coming to Mesa

Dominic Armato
The Republic | azcentral.com
AZ International Marketplace, the new venture from the owners of Mekong Plaza, will bring a 100,000 square foot international marketplace to Mesa this March.
  • AZ International Marketplace, a massive new venture from the owners of Mekong Plaza, will open in March
  • It will feature 100,000 square feet of groceries and merchandise
  • The owners hope to ease congestion at Mekong Plaza, and reach a broader range of customers and cultures

Mekong Plaza has long acted as the Valley's de facto Chinatown, a dense community of Asian restaurants, markets, shops and businesses under one roof. But plaza owners have their sights set on an even bigger and broader venture.

AZ International Marketplace, with about 100,000 square feet of groceries, general merchandise, restaurant kiosks and small shops, is tentatively scheduled to open on March 24, just around the corner from Mekong Plaza on Broadway Road in Mesa.

"It's like an international super Walmart," said Maria Hamim, who is handling public relations for the 2-acre project.

Peter Quach and Jimmy Lai, part of a team of principal investors, hope to ease the congestion in Mekong Plaza and expand the scope of their business to better serve cultural traditions beyond those of Asian countries.

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A few facts about AZ International Marketplace:

  • It's 2½ the size of Mekong Supermarket — about the same size as all of Mekong Plaza.
  • It will feature more than 50,000 products from Latin America, Africa and a broader range of Asian countries than are represented at Mekong Supermarket.
  • It will feature extensive meat and seafood counters, with a special emphasis on the foods and flavors of Mexico.

The group also owns the entire surrounding plaza, which is yet to be named. They said that all of their vacancies, both inside the marketplace and in the surrounding plaza, have been filled with a collection of small businesses, including numerous restaurants and cafes.

Quach and Lai hope to turn AZ International Marketplace into a community gathering place, and will offer their space to host international festivals and bring together the traditions of diverse cultures.

No changes are anticipated at Mekong Plaza before or after AZ International Marketplace opens. Rather than replacing Mekong Supermarket, the ownership team is hopeful the additional space at the new mega market will allow them to better serve the needs of a broader range of customers.

Details: AZ International Marketplace, 1920 W. Broadway Road, Mesa. 480-833-0095, facebook.com/AZInternationalMarketplace.