Back in October 2022 we announced the much-desired advent of an Asian market for Bend—something that foodies in Central Oregon have been clamoring about for years. Back then, Jesi Scott, who named her pending business “Tomi Mart” after her daughter, Tomiko, hoped to open a brick-and-mortar market by the spring of 2023. Several popups later, Tomi Mart now has an official location, with a projected opening date of about one year after the hoped-for date. But so it goes when trying to start a new business and set up shop.
Scott and business partner Natasha Dempsey announced in mid-January that they’d secured a retail location on the south side of Bend, at the corner of Third Street and Reed Market Road. The location is in the same complex as other Asian-food businesses, Dang’s Vietnamese and Okawa Steak House. Scott and Dempsey have yet to announce the opening date, but said on Tomi Mart’s social media channels that they hope to open by spring with a “legendary” grand opening.
“Now that we have the keys in hand, we are doing a little makeover to the space, getting square with city permitting, and filling our shelves with lots of tasty food. We are excited to create a welcoming space where everyone feels right at home,” Tomi Mart wrote on its Instagram and Facebook pages. “A massive THANK YOU to everyone who has stood by us since October 2022 when we first announced this idea that’s now one huge step closer to a reality.”
Since the arrival of Tomi Mart’s popups in Bend, another market, Bendite Market, also opened and began offering international goods, including Asian snacks and sundries—though the offerings there are an international mix of European, Asian and domestic products. Tomi Mart will be Bend’s only dedicated market for Asian foods.
Tomi Mart
tomimartbend.com
This article appears in Source Weekly January 25, 2024.
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