South Korean Mega Grocer Bringing Ten New Eateries to Downtown LA

A massive 33,000-square-foot market is headed to Downtown in 2019, along with ten new on-site dining options. PK Market will open one block away from the Downtown Whole Foods and near an upcoming Erewhon, meaning the entire area is about to get even more competitive with stores, grocery shopping, and sit-down dining.

“It’ll be very global with east meets west,” says company spokesperson Neil Stern. “We want local foods from LA, and some global cuisine into the market as well. The idea is to blend all these elements together. The markets in Korea are a mix of western and the best of Asia with pho, noodles, and Korean foods. That’s what we’re bringing to DTLA.”

To be clear, PK Market isn’t necessarily a food hall. Dining stations are situated throughout the space, so while shopping for seafood, diners can order sushi or teppanyaki, or select a piece of steak or chicken from the butcher and watch them grilled on the spot. Stern also suggests that alcohol permits are part of the plan.

The market and ten food venues will occupy the first two floors of the 101 year-old building, with dining kept on the ground floor, while administrative offices will take up residence on floor three.

The historic building was built in 1917 for the Ville de Paris department store. The soon-to-be upgraded LA Jewelry Mart space is still under construction, and the company hopes to maintain the character of the building and the area. Parent company PK Retail Holdings anticipates taking possession in January, with a completed store by the end of 2019. PK Retail Holdings is a subsidiary of Shinsegae Group.

PK Market. 712 S Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA

• High-end South Korean market coming to Downtown LA [Curbed LA]
• LAFC Stadium Food Hall Will Open on August 14 in South LA [ELA]