H Mart [Not] Closed!

[KilgoreTrout]

(Since new information in the thread suggests that H Mart hasn't closed, we've edited the thread title to reflect that. See: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8149... -- The Chowhound Team)

Pulled up at 3 on Sunday, usually primetime. Empty lot. Crappy homemade sign saying "closed" duct taped to door. Any one know why?

[FoodDabbler]

Thanks mods.

[emannths]

I take it that the busy signal on their phone indicates that they're still closed?

[amy_wong]

Yep, still closed. Made the mistake of going there for lunch and there were no cars in the parking lot.

[rouxmaker]

Last night the parking lot was dark and the building had some dim lights on, but they were probably battery operated emergency lights. It's odd that everything else around it has power.

[Karl S]

I called their number just now, and they say they are open.

Btw, have they moved into the larger strip mall proper? IIRC, they were going to be moving from their own store to that larger mall.

[Prav]

That is good news. I hope the title of this post doesn't mislead anyone or inadvertently fuel rumors.

[amy_wong]

Where are they moving? Will they still be located in Burlington?

[Chris in MA]

I called this afternoon too; H-mart guy who answered even acted surprised when I asked if they were open.

H-mart should have handled this more professionally, one handwritten "closed" note doesn't cut it, when all other stores in the vicinity opened normally.

[Kiyah]

Karl S, where did you hear about H Mart moving? Do you think they're moving to the strip with Market Basket? I live in the area and didn't hear anything about this, although that doesn't mean it's not happening.

[Karl S]

It just googled to see if they had moved. I believe they explored moving into that strip with the town (there was a new story about it from 2010, IIRC), but not sure if anything came of it. Their website offers 2 addresses for their Burlington location, one on Old Concord Rd (the current location) and the other in the strip.

[antimony]

That might just be so that people can find it -- I know I went looking just after it opened, and Google maps put me back behind it, where there is no entrance.

[Chris in MA]

I can confirm that this potential move is entirely a false rumor then.

On H-mart website, two addresses are offered for this store, but with an explicit distinction "for input into GPS for navigation" and their "physical address".

[Chris in MA]

Yeah, seems most likely. just read in the news some 78% of nstar electricity coverage in Burlington had been lost due to the storm.

http://www.nstar.com/residential/

[Karl S]

And HMart is not like MB. That is, it's not got a ton of local sister stores from which to re-stock perishable items. If HMart had gone without power for many hours, it would have lost a lot of perishables without the ability to re-stock on a Sunday.

[Chris in MA]

Was it open yesterday? It was open last weekend.

[KilgoreTrout]

It was open last Sunday. The more level headed responses above are probably correct. However the closing appeared so hasty it just made me think.

[FoodDabbler]

I've found that it's often a mistake to think.

[Karl S]

May have lost power in the storm.

[Bellachefa]

Phones are out

[Jenny Ondioline]

Could be something as simple as a burst pipe.

[Boston_Otter]

Whoa, closed as in closed forever? I was going to head over soon to stock up on kimchi, too.

[KilgoreTrout]

No idea. This was done quickly and hastily. Displays and carts still outside. Very curious.

[fesenjan]

Could it have been just that they were without power from the storm?

[KilgoreTrout]

I suppose its possible. The Market Basket next door had power and was understandably busy. The wife and I went through a whole list of possibilities, but it is all speculative.

[three of us]

MB near me was not selling perishables. Canned goods, dry goods, etc. but nothing from the refridgerated bins/shelves, no deli, etc. They were on low-power from generators. HMart may not have been thus prepared.