A new Asian supermarket is set to open its doors in Liverpool city centre this week following months of transformation work. Owner Johnny Zhang, originally from mainland China and now living in Chester, has been working on the project since June, overseeing the transformation of the former eJoy Asian Food site, which closed at the end of May.
The new supermarket, MISU, situated on Myrtle Street between Tesco and Co-op, will offer a wider range of Asian groceries, fresh produce, snacks and drinks, with a team of 10 staff members running the store. The opening was initially planned for September but was pushed back following a series of delays. General manager Calvin Won, 41, who lives in Moreton, will oversee the day-to-day running of the supermarket.
Investment and renovation
Johnny, a dad-of-two, said the team is looking forward to welcoming customers after months of work and £280,000 later. He told the ECHO: “We are absolutely thrilled to finally open our doors tomorrow. It has been months of intense behind-the-scenes work, and the whole team is buzzing to welcome the Liverpool community, students, and local residents to the new space.”
“Seeing this vision come to life is incredibly rewarding. We completely stripped the unit back to its shell and rebuilt it from the ground up, investing in custom shelving, terrazzo flooring, and state-of-the-art refrigeration. Our goal was to completely transform the space into a bright, modern, and elevated shopping environment. Whether people are looking for everyday pan-Asian pantry essentials, fresh produce, or the latest trending snacks and drinks, we’ve curated something really special for the neighbourhood,” he added.
Focus on Asian products
Leaseholder and Johnny’s cousin, Bing Zhang, said the transformation had created more room for products and made the supermarket more convenient for shoppers. The 38-year-old dad, who lives in Crosby, added: “The design and the overall concept have come together, and I’m pleased to see everything completed. Previously, the supermarket area was too small, and we didn’t have enough products.”
“We have now maximised the space available for the supermarket, making room for a wider range of products. We have also stopped some of our previous food-related operations to focus more on the supermarket, while retaining the corner fried noodle shop. It is a big change from before. We now have more products, and we will also be offering fresh produce,” he said.
“The aim is to make shopping more convenient for customers. Unlike larger supermarkets such as Tesco and Co-op, we focus on Asian food. Our customers include local residents as well as Asian students,” he added.
Community and cultural trends
He said the business was keen to serve the community, despite a decline in the number of Chinese students in the city. Bing believes that growing interest in Asian cuisine has helped introduce more people to the supermarket's stocked products. He added: “The number of Chinese students in the city has dropped significantly. In the past, there seemed to be Chinese students everywhere, but there are fewer now. Our main focus is on serving local people.”
“Asian culture is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. People are discovering Asian food through social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. They are becoming more interested in trying different foods and exploring Asian cuisine alongside the food they already know,” he said.
The supermarket takes over the site previously occupied by eJoy Asian Food, which closed at the end of May. While the former business brought together a number of food vendors under one roof, the new venture will focus primarily on supermarket retail. The eJoy Asian Food brand can still be found on Devon Street.
