EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
Recent Searches
Two generations, one enduring vision from the Lee family
Walk the aisles of a T&T Supermarket and you’ll experience Canada’s cultural richness on every shelf. This elevated retail experience began with Cindy Lee’s conviction that a grocery store could do more than sell food. She wanted people to connect to their cultures, preserve their valued traditions and feel at home.
An immigrant from Taiwan and working mother of three, Cindy saw a gap in Canada’s grocery market. Asian families often had to visit several specialty shops to find the fresh ingredients, prepared foods and familiar products they needed. In 1993, she and her husband Jack took the entrepreneurial risk of opening two stores in British Columbia, bringing those offerings together in one convenient location. They called it T&T, the initials of two early investors, as well as their two daughters, Tina and Tiffany.
T&T challenged the idea that Asian grocery was a niche category. The company’s rapid growth proved that cultural authenticity, convenience and broad appeal could coexist at scale. Shoppers from all backgrounds now seek dumplings, steamed buns, mangoes, k-beauty skincare and many other products that were once difficult to find outside immigrant communities.
T&T’s celebration of traditions such as Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival has also made these cultural moments more visible and accessible to all. In helping normalize Asian culture across the country, T&T has fostered greater awareness and appreciation while inspiring pride within the Asian community.
The T&T growth journey involved a series of defining choices: expanding beyond BC into Alberta and Ontario, joining Loblaw Companies Limited in 2009 and transferring leadership from founder to eldest daughter Tina in 2014. Each fork in the road could have diluted T&T’s distinctive qualities. Instead, Cindy and Tina used them as opportunities to extend the company’s purpose.
Tina effectively built on her mother’s foundation through ecommerce, experiential stores, and expansion into the US. Under her leadership, T&T more than doubled its store count and became a North American cultural and retail powerhouse – all while keeping people at the centre of their business decisions and staying true to their roots.
As Tina explains, “Canada's mosaic approach to diversity, where different cultures and communities are celebrated side by side rather than asked to blend into one, is the environment that allowed us to thrive – and it's shaped our business model across North America.”
By focusing on experience alongside food retail, Tina continues to create a business rooted in culture, belonging, identity and community, where people not only shop for ingredients but also explore new flavours and pass on traditions to the next generation. Through innovative food offerings and an extensive private-label portfolio, T&T continues to introduce customers to unique food experiences. This approach has helped broaden the company's appeal beyond its original customer base, establishing T&T as a destination for all Canadians and a valued presence in the retail centres where it operates.
Today, Tina carries the family legacy forward while leading the company into its next phase of growth. Through community investment initiatives established by Cindy, T&T has supported long-term care for Chinese seniors, contributed to community wellness organizations and helped fund the future of health care in BC.
Tina uses her platform to advance conversations about food and culture, building a tight knit online social community. She also is a spokesperson for diversity, inclusion, women’s leadership and family business, including serving on the Canada-United States Council for the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs.
T&T has become Canada’s leading Asian grocery retailer, reaching the kitchens of more than a million families and resonating deeply with the communities it serves. It’s a defining example of family business at its best: a founder’s bold idea strengthened by the next generation’s ambition, innovation and business acumen.
The two women have demonstrated that the strongest businesses do more than grow. They earn trust, encourage community building and foster a sense of belonging. This year, they’re receiving the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ontario Family Business Award of Excellence for an enduring legacy that, in many ways, has become a reflection of culture in Canada – helping a country see itself more fully.
Cindy and Tina have connected cultural differences with competitive advantage and proven how family enterprise, guided by purpose, can build a stronger Canada. Their shared success will inspire current and future generations of entrepreneurs to think beyond the next quarter and build for the next generation.