Millbrae’s long-running grocery shuffle just took a decisive turn. Last Monday, the city’s planning commission approved a conditional use permit that clears the way for T&T Supermarket to move into the former Lucky grocery building at 45 Murchison Drive, restoring a decades-long grocery anchor with an Asian-focused market featuring an in-store bakery, cafe and specialty prepared foods, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Commissioners who backed the project said the store could inject fresh foot traffic into downtown and widen local grocery choices. Commissioner Nathan Chan summed up the buzz after describing his first visit to a T&T as pretty amazing, shorthand for the anticipation surrounding the chain’s arrival, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported of the April 6 vote.
Planned Changes To The Lucky Building
The project is set to work within the existing shell of the building rather than expand it. City documents and the permit application show plans for about 29,987 square feet of interior tenant improvements, along with a roughly 689-square-foot outdoor dining area near the main entrance. The design calls for an on-site bakery, an indoor cafe, outdoor seating and updated T&T branding within the current footprint, according to the City of Millbrae.
Neighbors, Noise And Rooftop Refrigeration
City staff told commissioners that public consultation forms showed 18 nearby residents in support of the project and two opposed. One neighbor raised concerns about potential noise, particularly from equipment. In response, T&T attorney Mark Loper said those issues would likely be mitigated by a new, quieter rooftop refrigeration system, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Part Of A Larger Bay Area Expansion
T&T, founded in Canada and now one of that country’s largest Asian supermarket chains, is using Millbrae as part of a broader Bay Area rollout in its push into the U.S. market. Regional coverage notes that the company is planning major-format stores across the Peninsula as well as in San Francisco and San Jose, reflecting a broader wave of large Asian grocers expanding throughout the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
What Comes Next
With the conditional use permit secured, the Millbrae project now moves into the tenant improvement, permitting and construction phases before any grand opening can happen. The company previously described the Millbrae store as a roughly 52,000-square-foot location targeted for a winter 2026 debut in a company release, though the exact opening date will depend on build-out progress and final approvals, per PR Newswire.
