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Tag: burger

  • South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch enters Japan

    South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch enters Japan

    Korean burger and chicken fast food chain Mom’s Touch is set to open its first directly managed Japanese store in Shibuya, Tokyo.

    Scheduled to open on April 16, the new 418 sqm Shibuya store will sit in a location that used to be occupied by McDonald’s and have a seating capacity of 200 people. According to local media, the new store will be adjacent to Shibuya Scramble Square where the daily floating population reaches about 3 million people.

    “We believe this is an important first step for Mom’s Touch to make the leap to become a global brand and make full-fledged overseas expansion,” the company said in a statement.

    As part of the expansion plan, Mom’s Touch has participated in the Tokyo Franchise Show as it seeks to further expand internationally and promote its Korean burger in the country, which has a burger market estimated at US$5.3 billion.

    The company launched a pop-up store in Shibuya last October, luring about 33,000 visitors. As of February, Mom’s Touch operates 1420 stores in its home market.

    The Japan expansion follows the chain’s launch into Mongolia last year.

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  • Hong Kong burger chain Honbo launches in Singapore

    Hong Kong burger chain Honbo launches in Singapore

    Anew hipster burger joint is coming to Singapore at the end of July 2023. Called Honbo, it was founded in 2017 by former doctor Michael Chan, who named his eatery after the Cantonese name for hamburgers (‘hon bo bao’). The brand has since expanded to six outlets in its native Hong Kong.

    It specialises in gourmet American-style smashed burgers, with handmade patties and potato milk buns made with a recipe developed in collaboration with famed French baker Eric Kayser.

    The opening date for Honbo’s Singapore outlet is still unconfirmed, though its rep tells 8days.sg that it is estimated to be end-July. The dine-in eatery is located at Chijmes.

    Honbo boasts brisket-and-chuck burger patties made with USDA prime-grade beef from Holstein and Angus cattle reared in Wisconsin. Both breeds are known for their marbling; prime beef has the highest marbling score and is more flavourful compared to beef with a lower USDA grade.

    The patties are ground in-house daily and, upon order, smashed on hot griddles and cooked to medium-rare doneness.

    The patties are then wedged between pillowy potato milk buns made with hand-mashed potatoes. The proprietary Eric Kayser-developed bun is unique to Honbo, who patented the recipe in Hong Kong.

    The burgers are garnished with “sustainably sourced greens, pickles cured in-house from Japanese cucumber and specialty sauces hand-crafted in its very own kitchen, using a closely guarded secret recipe created by the team”.

    The local menu has not been finalised, though Honbu is expected to serve its signatures including the Honbo Burger, modelled after an “old-school fast food-style” cheeseburger. Two beef patties, each weighing about 56g, are layered with two slices of cheddar.

    “The Honbu Burger is paired with our house sauce, a lot of raw onions, pickles, and no lettuce. The raw onions and pickles help cut through the greasiness, and you can really taste the crust and the meatiness. It gives the burger double the crust and double the beef grease, but it is still less juicy than the Cheese Burger, ” says founder Michael Chan (interestingly, the man was a doctor before he became an F&B entrepreneur).

    For big eaters, this burger comes in variations like Honbo 1.5 (three patties) and Honbo 2.0 (four patties), plus a Gold Standard burger with two 113g beef patties, two slices of cheese, a hash of bacon and pickles, onions and lettuce drizzled with house-made sauce.

    Prices start from S$18 for an a la carte burger, with sides offered like fries, sweet potato fries and buffalo wings.

    Beefless options are available too, like a Grilled Chicken Burger with teriyaki sauce-glazed sous vide organic chicken, a Scallop Burger with “extra-large sashimi-grade Hokkaido scallops” and wasabi pico de gallo. There is also a Soft Shell Crab Burger, with a whole fried soft shell crab coated in vodka-infused batter and served with ginger coleslaw. Wash down your burger with beverages like classic lemonade and Apple Pie Iced Tea, described as “apple pie in a glass”.

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  • South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch to expand into Mongolia

    South Korean burger chain Mom’s Touch to expand into Mongolia

    South Korean chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch&Co. said Tuesday it inked a master franchise agreement with Mongolia’s Foodville Farm LLC, in its first steps to enter the central Asian country.

    Foodville Farm is an independent company established by the local franchise operator Monbakery LLC to expand the Mom’s Touch brand in Mongolia. The company operates the South Korean coffee franchise Caffe Bene and bakery chain Tous les Jours in the Asian country.

    The South Korean chicken burger franchise said it has decided to enter Mongolia due to the country’s rapid economic growth, a relatively young population and a growing interest among Mongolians in Korean food, and products from K-pop and the broader Korean Wave.

    Experts said the Korean Wave generated by K-pop and TV dramas could turn fans in foreign countries into active consumers of South Korean products.

    Mom’s Touch’s first Mongolian restaurant is set to open in the first half of this year. The company plans to add more than five stores by the end of the year, it said.

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  • Wendy’s burgers are coming to Australia

    Wendy’s burgers are coming to Australia

    The US Wendy’s burgers brand is heading to Australia and is on the hunt for a master franchisee.

    The iconic brand is reportedly the world’s third largest quick service restaurant burger chain, with about 7000 outlets worldwide.

    Founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969. His mission was to serve well-priced, good quality food in a comfortable environment. The unique square burger has since become a mainstay of the Wendy’s menu.

    Now the chain is readying to hit the market Down Under, with consultancy firm DC Strategy tasked with recruiting master franchisees. You’ll also receive messages on behalf of our partners. You can opt-out at any time.

    The appointed master franchisee will need to have franchise and operations experience and a proven track record for growing brands in Australia.

    There is no set agenda for the first store location, nor a pre-determined number of outlets. These will be determined by the master franchisee, DC Strategy confirmed.

    Wendy’s burgers will be vying for customers within a highly competitive market. There are the familiar giants of burger business in Australia — McDonald’s and Hungry Jacks.

    US chains testing the waters in Australia include Five Guys, operated by franchisee Seagrass Hospitality. And Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg’s famed burger chain Wahlburgers unveiled its first Australian store in Circular Quay, Sydney late last year.

    American brand Carl’s Jr. has already made its mark along the east coast. Globally this brand has over 4000 restaurants; 35 outlets operate in Australia with a goal of 160 by 2032.

    And then there are local brands such as Pattysmiths Burgers offering a premium alternative to the traditional fast food options. There are now 29 outlets in the chain, under the umbrella of multi-brand franchisor, Concept Eight. Restaurants operate throughout Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT.

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  • Maxim’s to launch Shake Shack in Thailand

    Maxim’s to launch Shake Shack in Thailand

    US burger chain Shake Shack is ramping up its Southeast Asia expansion with its upcoming Thai debut in partnership with Hong Kong-based licensee, Maxim’s Caterers.

    Thailand’s first Shake Shack location, which will also be a flagship store, is expected to open in Bangkok next year, followed by 15 more stores across the country by 2032. Maxim’s, also the licencing partner of Shake Shack in Greater China, currently operates 24 Shacks across the region.

    “Shake Shack was born in New York, and Bangkok is another fantastic city with vibrant energy, friendly people and rich culinary traditions,” said Michael Kark, chief global licensing officer at Shake Shack.

    The Shake Shack Thailand menu will feature the chain’s signature items, such as ShackBurger, Chicken Shack and Chicken Bites. The burger chain said it will also work alongside local producers, purveyors and artists to support the Thai community.

    Meanwhile, Maxim’s will open its seventh Shake Shack outlet in Hong Kong on May 9, at the Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung.

    Maxim’s operated F&B businesses for more than 60 years, including licences for brands including Starbucks, Genki Sushi and Ippudo Ramen, The Cheesecake Factory and Shake Shack. The company operates more than 1800 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

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  • Hong Kong fund to sell Japan, South Korea Burger King business

    Hong Kong fund to sell Japan, South Korea Burger King business

    Private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners is this week launching the sale of its Burger King fast-food businesses in South Korea and Japan, in a deal that could fetch more than US$1 billion, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

    Hong Kong-based Affinity has appointed Goldman Sachs to run the sale, which is targeting both private equity investors and strategic buyers, said the person, who declined to be identified as the information is confidential.

    The bank declined to comment.

    Affinity bought full control of Burger King South Korea in 2016 for about US$170 million and a year later acquired the American fast-food brand’s Japan franchise.

    The South Korean business reported 680 billion won (US$572 million) in revenue in 2021, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) at 80 billion won, said the person, adding its adjusted EBITDA in 2022 is expected to reach 100 billion won.

    Burger King Japan’s adjusted EBITDA in 2021 was 700 million yen (US$6 million), the person said.

    Global fast-food chains such as McDonald’s and Yum! Brands are trading at 20 to 30 times their EBITDA, Refinitiv Eikon data showed. Burger King India is trading at about 25 times of its EBITDA.

    Affinity and Burger King Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    An official at BKR Corporation, the operator of Burger King in South Korea, declined to comment.

    The Nikkei business daily first reported the sale on Monday (Jan 17).

    It comes as the consumer and retail sector faces tremendous challenges and disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

    In South Korea, businesses have adapted by relying more on deliveries, which has prompted exponential growth for its food delivery apps.

    Burger King Korea said on Monday the number of monthly active users on its mobile app in December exceeded 1.4 million, the highest since the app was launched in May 2016.

    Since Affinity’s acquisition, Burger King has been in an expansion mode in South Korea and Japan.

    Burger King runs 440 outlets in South Korea, more than its rival McDonald’s.

    The Japan franchise said on Monday it would open three new outlets in January, bringing the total there to 149, with plans to open more “aggressively” in 2022.

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  • Beyond Meat opens JD store, as Chinese remain wary of meat substitutes

    Beyond Meat opens JD store, as Chinese remain wary of meat substitutes

    Beyond Meat has launched an online store in China on e-commerce platform JD, as the plant-based meat maker aims to boost sales in the world’s biggest meat market, where consumer interest in meat alternatives is low.

    US-based Beyond Meat said the JD store will initially help expand the availability of its products in four major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, and eventually in 300 cities across China.

    Its products are currently mainly available in China through its partnerships with Starbucks Corp, Yum China Holdings and Alibaba Group’s Freshippo markets.

    But expanding into the retail segment by selling on JD will help it reach a wider audience in the country, which is increasingly purchasing fresh food online.

    Online sales in China of fresh food, into which category Beyond Meat’s products fall, are expected to top US$46.4 billion this year, an increase of 18 percent from last year, according to consultancy iiMedia Research.

    Beyond Meat’s direct retail foray follows a similar move by Nestle in December, which launched a range of plant-based burgers, sausages, nuggets, and dishes suited to Chinese cooking.

    The push by global firms comes even as consumers in China are not exactly devouring plant-based meat.

    “Currently it is a solo dance by the manufacturers, the consumers are not joining the tango,” said Zhu Danpeng, an independent food industry analyst.

    A recent poll on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform, found only 14 percent of 400 participants were willing to try plant-based meat.

    Chinese consumers are deterred by concerns over food safety as well as taste, said Zhu.

    Beyond Meat, which has set up its first manufacturing plant outside of the US in the eastern Chinese city of Jiaxing, near Shanghai, declined to comment on its sales in the market so far.

    A 454gm twin pack of plant-based beef will be sold at $32.50 on the company’s JD store. By comparison, 1kg of good quality domestic beef costs about $21.60 on JD’s fresh food platform.

    Beyond Meat is also adding Beyond Pork to its offering on JD, which has been created for the pork-loving Chinese market.

    It will also sell ingredients that are used in the cooking of local dishes such as stir-fry, dumplings, mapo tofu, zhajiang noodles and lion’s head meatballs to appeal to Chinese consumers.

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  • Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    American fast-food chain Popeyes said it is to withdraw business from South Korea, however, the local franchisee TS Corporation has denied the report.

    According to The Korea Times, reports of the exit began when a memo was written by a Popeyes’ employee headed “Popeyes brand will no longer pursue business in Korea as of November” went viral on social media. The employee’s memo went into detail, to the point of stating that the chain’s Gwangjin-gu branch would be the last to close before the brand ceases its operations in South Korea.

    A spokesperson from TS Corporation confirmed that some of the restaurants will shut down – but not all of them. The person didn’t share any further information except to state that the company will continue to operate the brand there.

    The struggling fast-food chain has been attempting to turn its fortunes around for two years, however, the process has not gone smoothly.

    Having entered South Korea with TS Food & System in 1993, the company recorded an impaired equity ratio of 40 percent, and last year it was in negative equity.

    Local media said Popeyes has recently been in negotiations with another operator to increase the brand’s value. That company is believed to be SPC Group, which operates Shake Shack and Eggslut in the country, but that has not been confirmed.

  • Burger King unveils ‘touchless’ hamburger ordering concept

    Burger King unveils ‘touchless’ hamburger ordering concept

    Burger King has unveiled a new ‘touchless’ concept store, designed to meet the challenges of business during a pandemic and adapt to the future “new normal”.

    The US store features physically contactless experiences such as mobile ordering and curbside pick-up areas and drive-in and walk-up order areas.

    “In March our in-house design and tech team accelerated new restaurant design plans and pushed the limits of what a Burger King restaurant could be,” said Josh Kobza, COO at Restaurant Brands International.

    “We took into consideration how consumer behaviors are changing and how our guests will want to interact with our restaurants. The result is a new design concept that is attractive to guests and will allow our franchisees to maximize their return.”

    Designed in-house, the store is expected to provide multiple ordering and delivery modes and highlight a physical footprint 60-per-cent smaller than a traditional Burger King restaurant.

    A ‘drive-in’ service allows customers to park under canopies doubling as solar power harvesting panels and place orders by scanning a QR code from the Burger King app. For mobile and delivery orders, customers can pick up their orders at coded food lockers.

    To reduce its physical footprint, the store features a “suspended” kitchen and dining room located above the drive-thru lanes. Orders will be delivered from the suspended kitchen by a conveyor belt system, and each lane has its own pick-up spot.

    “The designs we’ve created completely integrate restaurant functionality and technology, said Rapha Abreu, global head of design at Restaurant Brands International. “We designed the interior and exterior spaces like we had a blank sheet of paper, designing without preconceived notions of how a Burger King restaurant should look.”

    Burger King’s first new design stores will be built next year in Miami, Latin America and the Caribbean.

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  • Destination Group launching Boom Boom Burger

    Destination Group launching Boom Boom Burger

    Destination Group is to introduce a new burger joint Boom Boom Burger, as part of a broader expansion plan in Thailand. Located at Sukhumvit Bangkok, the first Boom Boom Burger store is scheduled to open on Tuesday (September 1).

    Besides the burger, Destination Group also has plans to launch a pizza chain soon. Earlier this year, Destination brought the US burger brand Big Boy into Thailand, the brand’s first destination in Southeast Asia. Launching with a delivery service only, it will roll out food trucks and kiosks in Bangkok from October.

    The group aims to open Thailand’s first full-scale Big Boy outlet early next year and then expand to 20 to 25 branches during the next three years, Gary Murray, founder, and CEO of Destination told the Bangkok Post newspaper.

    The expansion plan in Asia will cost Destination about US$25 million, according to the company.

    Destination said it is also finalizing a licensing agreement with a Mexican casual-dining brand.

  • Fatburger to buy Johnny Rockets

    Fatburger to buy Johnny Rockets

    Fatburger’s parent, Fat Brands, is to acquire the US restaurant chain Johnny Rockets. The acquisition, worth about US$25 million, is expected to be completed this September.

    Founded in 1986, Johnny Rockets is known for its 1950s diner-style decor, serving hamburgers, sandwiches, hand-spun shakes and malts. The restaurant chain operates more than 325 locations across more than 25 countries.

    “Similar to Fatburger, Johnny Rockets got its start in Los Angeles, and we couldn’t be more pleased to add another true staple in our home city to our portfolio,” said Andy Wiederhorn, president and CEO at Fat Brands. “This acquisition is a transformative event for Fat Brands in terms of scale and brand awareness. We see a lot of synergy with Johnny Rockets and our current restaurant concepts and we are eager to take the brand to new heights.”

    The acquisition of Johnny Rockets will increase the number of Fat Brands’ franchised and company-owned restaurants to more than 700 with annual system-wide sales exceeding US$700 million, according to the company.

    Fat Brands currently owns eight restaurant chains, including Fatburger, Buffalo’s Cafe, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Elevation Burger, and Bonanza Steakhouses, and franchises more than 375 units worldwide.

  • KFC Thailand for sale

    KFC Thailand for sale

    A slice of KFC Thailand is being considered for sale by franchise owner Restaurants Development in a deal that could net $200 million.

    Sourcing people with knowledge of the matter, the firm is taking advice on a potential sale of the operation – which involves roughly 200 locations and 4000 staff. There is no certainty a sale will proceed and the source said discussions remained at an early stage with no formal bid yet tabled.

    Restaurants Development is backed by investors throughout Asia and operates KFC Thailand alongside Central Group (running 275 stores) and Thai Beverage – which purchased more than 240 KFC restaurants three years ago for roughly $361 million.

    Yum Restaurants International (Thailand) transformed itself into a 100-per-cent franchisor business in 2018 in an effort to yield optimal efficiency across the entire business operation.

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  • Maxim set to open 15 Shake Shacks in Southern China

    Maxim set to open 15 Shake Shacks in Southern China

    American fast-casual restaurant chain Shake Shack is planning to open at least 15 new venues in South China by 2030.

    The chain, working through local licensee Maxim’s Caterers, a company controlled by Hong Kong’s Dairy Farm Group, will open restaurants in cities including Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Xiamen, with a goal of 55 Shake Shacks nationwide by 2030.

    Maxim’s currently operates Shake Shacks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, with Beijing and Macau under development and due to open later this year.

    “We remain humbled by our fans in China and continue to be encouraged by the performance of our Chinese business through this recovery,” said Shake Shack chief global licensing officer Michael Kark.

    “It’s a great time to deepen our roots in this market.”

    “Maxim’s partnership with Shake Shack has taken the brand on an exciting journey to Hong Kong in 2018 and Shanghai in 2019, with Beijing and Macau on the horizon,” said Maxim’s Caterers chairman and MD Michael Wu.

    “We look forward to bringing our boundless hospitality to more guests across South China in 2021 with our new expansion plans.”

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  • McDonald’s sales figures show marked improvement as Covid-19 lockdowns eased

    McDonald’s sales figures show marked improvement as Covid-19 lockdowns eased

    Newly released McDonald’s sales figures have shown a marked global improvement for the business sequentially from late March through May despite the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The information released ahead of the firm’s second-quarter earnings announcement, showed sales steadily improving throughout the period however they still remain negative compared to last year’s figures.

    Comparable McDonald’s sales figures across international markets for both April and May were heavily impacted by temporary restaurant closures in the UK and France, and to a lesser extent Italy and Spain. The firm saw strong drive-thru performance in Australia, and negative comparable sales in Germany, Canada and Russia.

    Sales in international licensed markets were primarily impacted by temporary restaurant closures across nearly all regions, most notably in Latin America. The results reflected continued negative comparable sales in China and positive comparable sales in Japan.

    The vast majority of markets are operating with drive-thru and delivery with limited menus and hours.

    A breakdown of figures for international licensed markets was not provided by the firm.

    “Our strong foundation and the unique advantages of the McDonald’s System, including a high percentage of drive-thru restaurants and investments in delivery and digital, have enabled us to adapt to the changing landscape presented by the Covid-19 outbreak,” said McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski.

    “The steps we are taking in response to the pandemic and to accelerate recovery while continuing to serve the great and familiar taste of a meal from McDonald’s, will position us well for the next phase of this crisis.”

    The report shows 95 percent of McDonald’s restaurants around the world are currently open to serve customers.

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  • Yum China Lifts Off Beyond Burger in KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell

    Yum China Lifts Off Beyond Burger in KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell

    Yum China has entered into a partnership with plant-based meat manufacturer Beyond Meat to trial a burger at selected KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell locations within the country.

    The agreement marks the introduction of Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger in Mainland China.

    “We see great potential for the plant-based meat market in China,” said Yum China CEO Joey Wat. “This latest introduction … is expected to capture valuable consumer feedback across different regions in China. It will enable us to optimize flavors and processes and help assess the potential for larger-scale rollouts in the future.”

    Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown said Chinese consumers are seeking out the nutritional and environmental benefits of plant-based meats.

    The burger will be available at five KFC locations in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The Pizza Hut offering will launch at six Shanghai locations and will constitute part of the brand’s first-ever burger offering. Taco Bell will offer a taco made with the plant-based Beyond Burger patty at three stores in Shanghai.

    All Beyond Burger promotions will be sold as a three-day limited offer.

    The move follows Starbucks China launching a range of foods using plant-based meat alternatives, including two pasta dishes and a wrap featuring Beyond Meat and another dish using OmniPork.