South Korean burger franchise Mom's Touch announced Monday that it would become the first Korean fast food brand to enter Uzbekistan.
The company signed a master franchise agreement last week with local food and beverage operator One Food at its Seoul headquarters.
The deal paves the way for Mom’s Touch to open a 496-square-meter outlet in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, before year-end.
The chain plans to scale up to 60 locations nationwide and later expand into neighboring Central Asian markets such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Russia and the Middle East, where the demand for halal food is strong.
Uzbekistan, home to about 170,000 ethnic Koreans, has a predominantly Muslim population that largely avoids pork, creating a favorable market for Mom’s Touch, with its chicken-focused menu.
Dining out has also become more common in the Tashkent metropolitan area, with food delivery services expanding rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am confident that we will receive lots of love from consumers through quick and stable store openings,” One Food CEO Khodjaev Zafar Zalulovich said at the signing ceremony.
“As the first domestic QSR (quick service restaurant) brand to launch a master franchise in the Central Asian market, we will work closely with local partners to ensure a soft landing for our brand business,” a Mom’s Touch official added.
andreahaneu@heraldcorp.com
