99 Ranch Market owner sued for allegedly firing non-Chinese managers

Tawa Supermarket Inc., the parent company of 99 Ranch Market, was sued Tuesday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is alleging the Buena Park-based Asian supermarket chain discriminated against its non-Chinese workers.

99 Ranch Market is the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States.

According to the EEOC lawsuit, Tawa subjected non-Chinese store-level employees to discrimination by failing to promote them because they were not Chinese, paid them less than Chinese workers, and scheduled them for fewer work hours than Chinese counterparts.

“As a result, some non-Chinese workers felt they had no choice but to resign,” the EEOC said.

A Tawa spokesperson did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The federal agency said the workplace violations existed since “at least 2016” after the company saw a leadership change, and the grocery store chain allegedly terminated recently hired non-Chinese managers at multiple store locations.

A copy of the 10-page lawsuit - provided to the Southern California News Group by EEOC spokesman Victor Chen - showed the alleged problems may have begun in 2015, when the vice president of human resources hired non-Chinese managers across various positions. Those jobs included “district managers, store managers and loss prevention.”

No employee names are mentioned in the lawsuit.

Then in 2016, Tawa terminated those recently hired, non-Chinese managers based on their national origin, replacing them with Chinese managers, according to the suit. In late 2016, Tawa forced the vice president of human resources (who was not Chinese) to resign, the suit says.

Another example of alleged discrimination cited in the EEOC complaint occurred when two non-Chinese district managers hired in late 2015 and 2016 were later fired in August and September 2017 after earning “satisfactory work performance” reviews, the suit states.

The lawsuit also cited loss prevention and safety managers, who like other managers hired in late-2015 and early 2016, were later terminated by Tawa in 2017, allegedly because they were not Chinese.

National origin discrimination can include a preference for foreign workers, including workers with a particular visa status, over American workers, according to the EEOC.

“The EEOC will not hesitate to bring litigation to make clear to employers that cultural preference regarding the composition of their workforce does not insulate them from liability,” Catherine Eschbach, acting general counsel for the EEOC, said in a statement. “That the employer here is a Chinese supermarket chain does not provide license to terminate non-Chinese managers or otherwise discriminate against non-Chinese workers in employment terms and conditions.”

Gagan Sandhu, EEOC’s acting assistant regional attorney, declined to discuss details of the case.

The lawsuit was brought against the chain after the EEOC said it couldn’t reach a pre-litigation settlement through confidential negotiations in order to resolve the dispute out of court, according to the EEOC.

Taiwanese roots

The supermarket chain was founded in 1984 by Roger Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant, who saw a need for an Asian supermarket in the local communities. Roger Chen’s children, Alice Chen, the chief executive officer, and Jonson Chen, the chairman, are now at the helm of the company.

The company specializes in Chinese and other Asian pantry goods, produce, fish meat and bakery items.

The chain, which employs between 5,000 and 10,000 employees - according to the job networking website Linkedin - dominates the Asian grocery scene in California, with five stores in Orange County (Irvine, Anaheim, Buena Park, Tustin and Aliso Viejo). Tawa lists 25 of its 99 Ranch Market stores across Southern California and 19 in Northern California.

Tawa Supermarket has at least 66 locations across multiple states, including California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Arizona and Virginia.

Tawa’s 99 Ranch Market chain isn’t the only Asian supermarket chain in Southern California.

T&T Supermarket, Canada’s largest Asian grocery store chain, announced plans to expand south to Southern California with a store opening in Irvine in late 2026. It also has plans to open a store in Chino Hills.

The U.S.-based Korean supermarket chain H Mart and Tokyo Central, which is owned by Japan-based Marukai Corp., are also expanding in the region.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 4:03 PM.