International Market Opening on Northwest Side

Site of MongTeng Food Market, 7120 W. Good Hope Rd. Photo courtesy of Mong Teng Yang.

The long-awaited MongTeng Food Market is preparing to open next month, bringing Asian and international grocery items, fresh produce and hot meals to Milwaukee’s Brynwood neighborhood.

As a gesture of community outreach, the grocery store and deli, 7120 W. Good Hope Rd., will offer free water refills to customers who bring their own containers through Dec. 31.

The store’s grand opening is set for Friday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.

“We don’t want it to feel like the usual grocery store,” said Bai Lor, who co-owns the market with her husband, Mong Teng Yang. “I know people are busy with life and kids and work — busy with everything. We hope to be able to serve them and have a quick way for them to access hot food and just anything they need.”

The couple have been hard at work on the store since last summer, when they purchased the building and began renovations. Over the course of a year, Lor and Yang transformed the former Anchor Properties space into a bright, modern store.

“We just want to provide an environment where people can feel calm, comfortable and relaxed,” Lor said.

Visitors can expect to find a little bit of everything at MongTeng Food Market, including fresh fruit and vegetables, meats and pantry staples from across the globe.

Hot meals such as spring rolls, chicken curry and fried rice will be available at the deli for grab-and-go service — ideal for a quick lunch or dinner on the go. The deli items, which are freshly prepared on-site each day, will also include Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Lao cuisine, as well as dishes from a handful of African countries, according to Yang.

“We want to have a lot of international options,” he said. “We don’t want to focus only on Hmong people, but we want to focus on other communities as well.”

The store will also offer charcoal-grilled meats — available on a first come, first served basis.

“We’re so happy to be able to open our first location,” said Lor. “We’re happy to be here on 71st [street] and we’re hoping just to be able to serve the community.”

MongTeng Food Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 17 for the grand opening. After that, its regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

For updates and more information, follow the business on Facebook.

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