In the early 1990s, Lam’s was a tiny grocery store barely larger than 700 square feet. It was a family-run affair like most other small businesses in Seattle’s International District. Mac and Judy Lam would put in long hours with their five kids — three sons and two daughters — who would come in after school and on the weekends to help out.
The key ingredients for their success was their friendly Mom & Pop service with quality products at a great value for the money. Lam’s Seafood moved to its current location on South King Street in 1997 which was 10 times the size of the original store, and the business expanded to more than just a seafood market. Today, Lam’s is the place to go for the freshest seafood, meats, fruits and vegetables. And if you’re into Southeast Asian cuisine, Lam’s is your one-stop source for authentic grocery items.
In June 2015, the Lams family passed the baton onto the new owners of Lam’s Seafood Market, George and Kim Nguyen. George’s family (pictured above) had previously owned and operated an Asia market in Michigan for a number of years, as well as a wholesale business out of California. They have not only retained the good values that the Lam family had worked for over 24 years to build, but have also added even more selection and greater value to Lam’s Seafood customers.
In May of 2020, in the midst of the infamous Covid pandemic, the Nguyen family opened a second Lam’s Seafood Market location in Tukwila, which is now the biggest Vietnamese-centric grocery store in Washington State.
