Headline: Marlton Pike’s Food Scene Gets Spicier — JAWS Topokki & Gimbap Eyes 2026 Spot inside Cherry Hill H‑Mart Food Hall
If you drive the Marlton Pike/Route 70 corridor or hop off I‑295 to get into Cherry Hill, here’s a bite-sized development to note: JAWS Topokki & Gimbap is planning a 2026 opening inside the new food‑hall at the Cherry Hill H‑Mart. It’s another sign that the busy Route 70 stretch is evolving from a straightforward retail strip into a regional food destination — and it matters to townsfolk, motorists and nearby small businesses alike.
What is JAWS Topokki & Gimbap?
JAWS is a Korean street‑food concept that centers on tteokbokki (often spelled topokki), the chewy, spicy rice‑cake dish that’s become a staple of Korean comfort food, alongside gimbap — the Korean seaweed‑wrapped rice rolls that function like handheld sushi. Across other markets, JAWS has built a reputation for fast, casual bowls and rolls at approachable prices, a format that fits nicely inside food halls and grocery‑anchored marketplaces.
Why the Cherry Hill H‑Mart location matters to Marlton Pike
H‑Mart’s Market Eatery food‑hall model has been reshaping retail corridors where it opens: the grocery anchor draws steady shopper traffic, and a curated slate of smaller food vendors gives people reasons to linger. Placing JAWS in Cherry Hill’s upcoming H‑Mart food hall plugs a trending, youth‑friendly brand into the east–west spine of Camden County.
For drivers using I‑295 to reach Cherry Hill (the exits that feed into Route 70/Marlton Pike), this location will be convenient — think quick takeaway on the way home or an affordable group dinner when friends roll in from neighboring exits. Google Maps shows the H‑Mart site along the Route 70 corridor where visibility and parking are designed around car access, which helps explain why grocery‑anchored food halls do well here compared with tighter urban spots.
A boost for local foot traffic and the corridor’s economy
New vendor variety inside H‑Mart tends to ripple into surrounding retail. Daytime customers coming for groceries may add a meal, creating more lunchtime business; evening diners create after‑work traffic for adjoining storefronts. For Marlton Pike — a corridor long dominated by strip centers, national chains and standalone restaurants — that cross‑shopping effect is important. It can help smaller, independent eateries and shops by increasing overall visitation to the shopping cluster.
There’s also a jobs angle. Food‑hall vendors usually hire locally for counter staff, prep cooks and managers — positions that matter in a place like Cherry Hill where residents commute by car but increasingly look for local daytime and evening work. Expect hiring notices as the tenant buildout progresses.
How residents and neighboring businesses feel
If you scan Yelp for JAWS locations elsewhere, the pattern is positive: many reviews highlight bold flavors, good portion sizes and wallet‑friendly prices. That bodes well for the Cherry Hill crowd, which includes families, college students and commuters seeking quick, flavorful meals.
Regional outlets like NJ.com and Patch have followed H‑Mart’s expansion and the nationwide push toward food halls for good reason: these venues change how people shop and eat in suburban towns. While some nearby independent restaurants might be wary of an additional competitor, the broader trend suggests food halls often complement, rather than cannibalize, a corridor — bringing new customers and extending evening activity.
Infrastructure and planning notes for motorists and neighbors
Marlton Pike/Route 70 is a major arterial for Camden County, carrying both through traffic and local access to shopping centers. The H‑Mart food‑hall concept aligns with the corridor’s car‑first design — plentiful parking and easy curb access. Local bus routes also run along Route 70, so the site should be reachable to non‑drivers as well.
From a planning perspective, adding curated food vendors inside grocery anchors is part of a larger shift: suburban retail is pivoting toward experiences (dining, markets, events) to stay relevant. For municipalities and planners watching Route 70, these projects raise questions about traffic flow, pedestrian access across large parking lots, and whether future iterations include safer walkways and better transit connections.
What to watch next
The timeline given is an anticipated 2026 opening inside the Market Eatery at Cherry Hill H‑Mart. Specifics about exact square footage, hours or an official menu rollout should be confirmed as tenant buildouts move forward. I’ll keep an eye on permits, signage and hiring notices — and we’ll post updates at 295Times as they arrive.
For now, if you live or commute through the Marlton Pike corridor of Cherry Hill, JAWS’ arrival is worth noting: it’s another example of how the Route 70 strip is changing into a more varied dining and shopping destination for people getting on and off I‑295 and for the neighborhoods of Camden County that surround it.
