Korean fried chicken franchise operator Genesis BBQ announced Monday it has opened a store in Almaty, Kazakhstan, marking its Central Asia debut.
The store is located in the food court inside MEGA Alma-Ata, a large shopping mall in the southern part of the city. The mall is one of the largest multicomplex malls in Central Asia, with annual visitors reaching 10 million.
Designed as a quick-service restaurant, the store will offer flagship golden friend chicken, chicken burgers, tteokbokki and “UFO chicken,” a chicken platter served with cheddar cheese fondue.
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and its virtual economic capital, recognized for its strong spending power. With developed food service and distribution industries, the city is a primary target for global brands seeking entry into Kazakhstan.
Blending finance, trade, logistics, tourism and leisure industries, Almaty shows high consumer activity during both lunch and dinner. Major tourist destinations such as the Medeu skating rink, Shymbulak ski resort, and Big Almaty Lake are also in the vicinity, generating a stable demand for eateries.
The city is home to young consumers and foreign students, with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, KIMEP University and Satbayev University located nearby.
With the new location, BBQ plans to accelerate its push into Kazakhstan, aiming to open 100 locations within the year. The brand will open 20 stores in key business areas in the first half of the year, and expand into the capital Astana in the third quarter.
“Our successful entry into Kazakhstan was based on cooperation with KOTRA, and we plan to continue our expansion to key cities to strengthen our position in the Central Asian market,” an official from BBQ said.
stlee0329@heraldcorp.com
