An exterior photograph showing the storefront signage of Kim Bros. Korean Market in Tampa, Florida, on July 20, 2026. Captured from a low-angle perspective against a soft overcast sky, large dimensional red block letters spell out "KIM BROS." positioned directly above a rounded red sign with bold white text reading "KOREAN MARKET." Below the main signage, store windows display promotional food photos and product advertisements, while the right side of the building features decorative brown and tan stone cladding.Credit: Annalise Mabe / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

After 35 years, Tampa Korean market Kim Bros. will close its doors after this weekend—but it’s not the end of its story.

Jin Cha, one of the owners, and the woman responsible for making the killer kimchi so many have come to love, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that while the lease is up here, Kim Bros. beloved foods that have grown a cult following can still be found in Temple Terrace at Soul of Korea (7612 N 56th St.), and soon inside the H Mart food court.

While H Mart is moving quickly during construction across the street, Kim Bros., located at 4021 W Hillsborough Ave., is discounting everything before it ends a historic run after Sunday.

“Thank you, everyone. Thank you for loving my food. Thank you for all of the love,” Cha, who’s worked at the location for the last five years, added. “I have been happy here.”

A portrait photo by Annalise Mabe of Jin Cha holding a large glass jar of homemade kimchi at Kim Bros. Korean market in Tampa, Florida, on July 20, 2026. Positioned center frame, the individual smiles warmly at the camera, wearing red round-framed glasses, a dark patterned black-and-white dress over a dark short-sleeved top, and dark hair styled in low pigtails. They are cradling the large transparent jar of kimchi with both hands in front of open commercial refrigerator cases filled with stacked food containers, packaged side dishes (banchan), and a yellow starburst price tag on a wire shelf in the background.Jin Cha at Kim Bros. in Tampa, Florida on July 20, 2026. Credit: Annalise Mabe / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Last spring, H Mart, which is easily America’s favorite Korean grocery chain, filed work permits to build out a store at 3908 W Hillsborough Ave.—just a mile north of Raymond James Stadium and half-a-mile from Kim Bros.

While there’s still no equipment inside of Tampa’s H Mart as of this week, the outside facade is looking a lot like many of the more than 100 locations the chain operates across the U.S.

When it opens, Tampa’s H Mart will be one of two Florida locations after Orlando’s opened after many construction delays. (FYI, The “H” in H Mart stands for “Han Ah Reum (한아름)”; in Korean, the phrase loosely translates to “one arm full of groceries”.)

An exterior photograph showing the storefront of the H Mart supermarket in Tampa, Florida, on July 20, 2026. The wide shot captures a modern, light grey and white building with dark grey accents and small red window awnings under a partly cloudy sky. On the left section of the building, bold lettering reads "H MARKET EATERY FOOD HALL," while the central entrance features the main "H MART" logo. In the lower right foreground, the tailgate of a dark blue pickup truck is partially visible in the parking lot.H Mart in Tampa, Florida on July 20, 2026. Credit: Danielle Malkin / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky

This article appears in July 16 – 22, 2026.

Related