99 Ranch Market has been around since 1984 with its first store opening in California, which is where they are most well known for its fresh fish and produce. Everything in the market seems to be alive, so if you’re not expecting a store full of swimming fish when you walk in, it can be a bit of a shocker.
Even though its been around for over twenty years and I spend a lot of time in northern California, I was only first introduced to the store recently, as I made my way through each aisle like a kid in a candy store marveling at so many products you can’t find at a standard supermarket – from chestnuts and flavored lychees to sea urchins, crawfish and snails.
99 Ranch is under the Tawa Supermarket brand, and was originally founded by Roger H. Chen from the greater LA area. Tawa most targets the desires and needs of Asian immigrants by providing them with their hometown flavors. To give you an idea of what to expect as you meander through the store, take a look at the visual spectacle below at one of their locations in Silicon Valley a mere 20 minutes south of San Francisco.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
