South Sarasota residents and passersby watched as the property that was formerly The Devyn was transformed into an enormous Asian market. Prior to the start of construction, a sign was placed on the property's front lawn alerting the neighborhood that HL Asian Market would be coming soon. Everyone's interest was immediately piqued.

Now, after many months of work, HL Asian Market is open. On Dec. 15, it's official opening day, cars backed up both the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 41 as eager customers waited for parking spots to open up.

Inside, celebratory customers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, greeting people they knew and showing off what they found, whether it was something from their former home country, somewhere they had visited or a product they had been hoping to use in a recipe but could not find in Sarasota's other, smaller Asian markets.

"This place is beautiful. We've been waiting for months," one couple said to the cashier during checkout. "Congratulations!"

HL Asian Market rivals the size of other area grocery chains and has 23 aisles of ingredients, including snacks, sauces, spices, rice, noodles, produce, frozen goods, cookware, an assortment of alcoholic beverages and more. At the back of the store, a meat and seafood counter offers dozens of varieties of proteins, many of which are still alive in their saltwater tanks, like crabs and lobsters.

Besides being the largest Asian market in town, HL Asian Market also has the longest hours. It opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m.

Based on Sunday's crowds, it's a safe bet that the market will be busy in the coming weeks. Still, take a drive over to marvel at the selection of products and check out the huge space. It's worth it.

HL Asian Market opened on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 7113 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. It is open 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, call (941) 922-3106.