After a brief relocation to Mission Viejo, Super Irvine is making a bold return to its hometown with an upgraded location, according to posts from a local realtor. The international market will reopen in Irvine at the new address 5331 University Drive, with a larger selection, an in-store café, bakery, and specialty juice and coffee bar.
It will be where Zion Market once stood, in the Parkview Center across from Strawberry Farms Golf Club and Tanaka Farms. The landlord for the center, The Irvine Company, has it listed as “coming soon” on its website. Co-owner Mahta Ariarad told What Now OC that construction will be done in June, and they are working to plan a grand opening.
At 30,000 square feet, the new store will be twice the size of its former Irvine location. Ariarad said it will be more of a global market, representing the melting pot that the community consists of, with Italian, German, Russian, and Kosher/Halal sections in addition to its Persian and Middle Eastern options. There will also be a bakery, a juice and Turkish coffee bar, and a Persian café called Bita that will have a menu similar to Irvine Grill, a concept she and her sister Anahita also run.
Super Irvine has been part of the Orange County food landscape for nearly 30 years. It was founded by Mahta and Anahita’s father, Mohammad, and the two women will carry on the legacy by running the new store. They plan to start hiring next month and bring on a staff load of around 70 to 80 employees.
