SPC Group said Friday that it has acquired the operation rights of US burger chain Shake Shack in Malaysia and will open the first store there in 2023.

The Korean confectionery conglomerate owns the operating right of Shake Shack in Korea and Singapore. It has opened 20 stores in Korea and eight in Singapore since 2016 and 2019, respectively. 

Michael Kark, chief global licensing officer of Shake Shack, said that the US burger chain and SPC will have more than 45 Shake Shacks across Korea, Singapore and Malaysia by 2031. 

“SPC Group and Shake Shack have established a successful longtime partnership, bringing 28 Shacks to Korea and Singapore over the past five years. We are eager to deepen the relationship, bringing the brand mission ‘Stand for Something Good’ to Malaysia,” said Hur Hee-soo, vice president of SPC Group Korea.

The company said with the opening of Shake Shack in Malaysia, it expects a synergy effect in the Southeast Asian market and halal market with its other food brands there such as Paris Baguette. 

According to the company, of 350 Shake Shake stores globally, the location in Gangnam, Seoul had recorded the highest sales in 2017, seven months after its launch in the country.