October 31, 2026

99 Ranch Market to close stores in Chino and Pleasanton; 103 workers affected, WARN filings show

Tawa, Inc., doing business as 99 Ranch Market, filed two California WARN notices on October 26, 2026, permanently closing its Chino store on November 15, affecting 49 workers, and its Pleasanton store on December 5, affecting 54 workers. Both notices fall short of the 60 days’ notice California requires.

The Chino store, at 4024 Grand Avenue in San Bernardino County, will close November 15; its notice gives 20 days. The Pleasanton store, at 4299 Rosewood Drive in Alameda County, will close December 5; its notice gives 40 days. Both filings list the closure as permanent and the industry as retail trade. Together, the two closures affect 103 workers.

California requires covered employers to give 60 days’ written notice before a mass layoff or closure; an employer that cannot give 60 days must still file a notice and include an explanation, according to the Employment Development Department. The explanation the company gave the state does not appear in the published filing data.

The company said the decision would help it optimize its store network and allocate resources more effectively to serve customers, FactSnap reported, pointing to its other stores in the Tri-Valley and Chino/Chino Hills areas.

99 Ranch Market is the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States, with 66 stores across 11 states, 43 of them in California, according to its website. The company is headquartered in Buena Park and was founded in 1984 by Taiwanese immigrant Roger Chen. Chino has another 99 Ranch Market location, as well as an H Mart, nearby.

Separately, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Tawa in June 2026, alleging discrimination against non-Chinese workers, including fewer hours and denied promotions. The allegations remain untested. No connection between the lawsuit and the closures has been stated.

Nothing in the public record says what severance or transfer offers, if any, the 103 affected workers will receive; the WARN notices record only the closures, the headcounts and the dates.