Family-Run Asian Market Lucky Oriental Mart to Close After 20 Years in Miami

A family-run Asian market beloved by the Westchester community of Miami will close its doors after two decades in business.

On Sunday, December 8, Lucky Oriental Mart will close its market doors after serving as a family-run community market selling Asian groceries to longtime customers and new customers in search of imported Asian specialties for more than 20 years.

Owned by Chinese immigrants Alejandro and Isa Cheong for more than two decades, the Cheongs bought the store from its previous owner upon arriving in the United States. Today, the couple (who told New Times they would like to be referred to by their first names because their longtime customers know them as such) are looking back on the legacy and community they will leave behind come their retirement in December 2024.

After Two Decades of Hard Work and Serving The Community, It Was Time to Say Goodbye

The small mart was a family business through and through. So much so that their daughter, Ana Cheong, and her sibling would help stock the shelves and assist with checking out patrons during their college years before moving away from Miami. Ana tells New Times while she's glad her parents will have a chance to slow down and enjoy retirement, knowing the mart will no longer be in the family is bittersweet.

"It's one of those places that was always there," she says. "We would go when we came back home and visit, just hang out there since that's where they were most of the time. So, it's kind of weird, but at the same time, we saw them work so hard, and we always wanted them to be able to take time off and enjoy all their hard work. Now, we're all just trying to help them kind of navigate through that process."

Ana helped translate her parents' words from Chinese to English for New Times.

For Alejandro and Isa, it's hard to part ways with Lucky Oriental Mart because the mart became a place where families do their weekly grocery shopping and where their own friends and family gather when visiting, and the familiar faces became a part of their daily lives. Yet, it's hard to deny the hard work it took to maintain it.

"As many of our customers described, we are a well-stocked store with plenty of variety and flavors, and we made sure to keep it that way," says Alejandro. "It was definitely hard work to manage the entire store with only a small team of three over the last few years. Because of the store hours (in order to serve our customers), we only close one day out of the year, Christmas day, so it's hard to step away. It will be a nice change, a good change, and we look forward to traveling and visiting friends and families in their cities."

Ana tells New Times that while Alejandro is a little more reserved, Isa handles the majority of customer interactions.

"We will miss seeing the familiar faces of customers who have visited us for so many years," says Isa. "Hearing their stories and seeing their children grow up. One of the most exciting things we do is introduce new ingredients to those who are unfamiliar with them but willing to try. The best is when they come back to tell us how their dish turned out last time and with a new recipe or list of items for us to help them find and explain how to use! It's great to see the love for Asian food in this community."

An Outpouring of Love and Support From the Community During Its Final Weeks

The news of the market's closing has come as a shock to the community. While the store will be missed, there are still ways to show support. In addition to coming to terms with the closure, Alejandro and Isa's minds are still tied up on having to sell and vacate everything.

From now until the final day of business, December 8, the mart will have a variety of sales. Currently, patrons can find 50 percent off cookware, dinnerware, beauty, and personal health products; 20 percent off sake and kitchen knives; and everything else is buy two, get one free. Deals will be adjusted weekly.

As the mart approaches its final day, Alejandro and Isa want to share a final message with the community:

"It has been a joy to serve this wonderful community. We want to thank all of our customers for their support and loyalty over the years. We will treasure the memories and friendships we've built."

Lucky Oriental Mart. 8356 SW 40th St., Miami; 305-220-2838. Monday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.