Jonson and Alice Chen: The new generation for 99 Ranch

99 Ranch is so much more than just another grocery store. It’s a mecca — an oasis where members of the Chinese-speaking diaspora have indulged in the flavors of their heritage for four decades and a convenient place to snag live fish and acquire specifically Asian produce such as wispy chayote shoot tendrils and fat, nutty stalks of celtuce. See the whole list Like many Asian Americans in Southern California, Alice and Jonson Chen grew up frequenting the supermarket chain. Their father, Roger, an immigrant from Taiwan, started the supermarket in 1984, keeping an extraordinarily low profile as the business grew from a stand-alone ethnic grocery store in Westminster to an affordable Asian American icon. With 58 stores across 11 states, 99 Ranch is now one of the largest Asian supermarket chains in the country.