Despite helming an international mega-grocer, CEO Tina Lee is all about homegrown family values. She’s both heiress and leader of the Richmond-born grocery chain T&T Supermarket, which was started by her parents, Cindy and Jack Lee, back in 1993.
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Known for its fresh produce, Asian import goods and prepared meals—you’d be remiss not to notice the smorgasbord of ready-made baos and dim sum, sushi platters, hot lunch options and noodle trays, plus their expansive bakery with more than 150 different pastries and desserts, the most well-known being the mango cakes—T&T was originally a love letter to the Lee children.
T&T stands for Tiffany and Tina, Cindy and Jack’s daughters, who fondly remember sharing hot meals from the chain’s buffet in their childhood despite their retail tycoon parents’ demanding work schedule. From the founding of the grocery outlet onward, Lee recalls T&T’s ready-made meals on the dinner table, freshly steamed baos for lunch and cake from the bakery for breakfast.
“My mom started the business with three kids, and I think she just had a really great sense for what moms needed, and it removed the guilt from the kitchen,” says Tina, who took over the reins as CEO from her mother in 2014.
Under Tina Lee’s leadership, T&T has more than doubled its store count, opening over 20 new locations and employing about 9,000 employees across North America. That includes a groundbreaking entry into the U.S. market with two stores in Washington and five more locations announced in California.
“People in Vancouver might drive down [to the States] for a Trader Joe’s, but Americans drive up for a T&T, so it really does represent the next chapter of growth for us,” says Lee, who splits her time between Vancouver and Toronto.
The Asian grocer (now part of the Loblaws chain) continues to scale rapidly, now taking T&T goods sky-high—literally. T&T’s rice crackers now appear as the in‑flight snack on Air Canada’s Asia-Canada routes (and in business class across the network). Not a bad place to land for a Richmond-born shop based on family values.
What is the last book you read?
Big Asian Energy by John Wang. (“A fellow Vancouverite.”)
What skill are you currently working on?
Strength training.
What is a small daily joy of yours?
“My seven-year-old daughter’s running hugs.”
