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Tag: SPC Group

  • Chipotle Opens First Asian Restaurant in Seoul with Singapore Next

    Chipotle Opens First Asian Restaurant in Seoul with Singapore Next

    Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first Asian restaurant in Seoul, picking South Korea as the entry point for its regional expansion. The US fast-casual chain partnered with local conglomerate Sangmidang Holdings, formerly SPC Group, to run the operations.

    More locations will open across South Korea before the end of the year. The group will take the concept to Singapore next year for its second market in the region.

    The Partnership in Seoul

    Sangmidang Holdings manages the local rollout, bringing Chipotle’s standard assembly-line menu of burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads to Korean diners. The format keeps its customisation model, preparing ingredients daily without artificial colours or preservatives.

    Scott Boatwright, chief executive of Chipotle, identified South Korea as a primary target due to customer demand for fresh food served quickly. Sangmidang president Hee-soo Hur said the business will focus on maintaining the exact operational format developed in North America.

    Expanding Across Asian Markets

    Western fast-casual operators regularly use South Korea to test Asian consumer appetites before tackling larger Southeast Asian markets. High dining-out frequency and dense urban foot traffic in Seoul give foreign operators quick feedback on pricing and menu adaptation, though competition among domestic and international fast-food chains remains fierce.

    Sangmidang is now securing real estate for the next batch of Seoul restaurants due before December. Site selection for the inaugural Singapore restaurant is also underway ahead of its planned opening next year.

  • New York burger chain Shake Shack confirms first Singapore outlet

    New York burger chain Shake Shack confirms first Singapore outlet

    Shake Shack has confirmed its long-ago leaked debut in Singapore, the US restaurant chain announcing overnight it will open at the new Changi Jewel shopping centre under construction.

    “We’re comin’ to the city where east meets west!” the company announced.

    As predicted back in March, Shake Shack Singapore will be launched through its South Korean franchise partner SPC Group, which operates Paris Baguette in the city. SPC has 6000 stores from 30 brands around the world, including seven Shake Shacks in Seoul.

    “We are executing our strategic plan in Asia with plans to launch in Singapore, Shanghai, and Manila next year,” said Michael Kark, VP of global licensing with Shake Shack in the US.

    “For years we’ve been looking for the right opportunity to enter the Singaporean market given its regional importance, and we’re thrilled to have found the right strategic partner and an ideal launch location. Our Shake Shack Singapore flagship site will be in the stunning Jewel Changi Airport, home to more than 2000 trees, harkening back to Shake Shack’s birthplace in New York City’s Madison Square Park.”

    The chain debuted in Asia at Tokyo’s Gaien Park in 2015, and since then has expanded to include 10 Shacks in Japan, seven in South Korea, and one in Hong Kong operated by a subsidiary of Dairy Farm International. A second Shake Shack in Hong Kong will open soon in Pacific Place.

    Shake Shack Singapore says it intends to work with local suppliers and producers to create “a one-of-a-kind Shack for the Singapore community”. The menu will feature signature items including the ShackBurger, Shack-cago Dog, crinkle-cut fries, beer, wine and frozen custard ice cream.

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  • Shake Shack Rumoured To Be Opening At Jewel Changi Airport

    Shake Shack Rumoured To Be Opening At Jewel Changi Airport

    A Shake Shack Singapore store is reportedly planned for the Jewel Changi Airport shopping centre.

    Singapore food blog 8 Days, quoting an “industry source” says the chic American gourmet burger chain is in the final stages of preparation to launch in Singapore. Elsewhere in Asia, the brand is preparing to open in Hong Kong, where it has appointed local licensee Maxim’s Caterers, a division of Dairy Farm International, which also owns the Starbucks license for Hong Kong and Singapore.

    However 8 Days is tipping the Shake Shack Singapore eatery to be run by Korean food and beverage company SPC Group, which operates Paris Baguette and has the Korean rights to Shake Shack.

    The burger chain’s founder Danny Meyer was in Singapore to address a Restaurant Association of Singapore event and while “coy” about plans for Singapore, he reportedly told 8 Days he wants to see the brand launched in the city state.

    “It’s a possibility,” he told 8 Days. “My guys have visited Singapore thrice for site trips and they loved it here. It’s all about finding a good licensee.”

    Jewel Changi Airport is a shopping centre to be managed by CapitaLand, attached to the airport’s Terminal 1 and scheduled to open early next year.

    No confirmation was forthcoming from Changi Airport or SPC.

    Shake Shack, which started out as a food cart in New York City, now has more than 170 outlets internationally.

    Besides burgers, it is known for milkshakes, ice cream and other staple US dishes, but with more focus on flavour and serving size than is traditional in US fast-food restaurants.

  • Shake Shack Korea tops global sales chart

    Shake Shack Korea tops global sales chart

    Sales at a Shake Shack Korea store are the highest of any store worldwide.

    Just seven months after the chain launched in Korea, Shake Shack’s 13th international market, the Gangnam branch has outstripped some 120 branches outside the US. It sells 3000 to 3500 burgers a day, according to the Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), the Shake Shack franchisor.

    Also known as the maker of the “New York burger,” the fast casual restaurant started out as a food cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, expanding its menu from New York-style hotdogs to hamburgers and milkshakes.

    It made a foray into the South Korean market last year through an exclusive partnership contract with SPC Group, South Korea’s major food manufacturer and distributor.

    Another branch in Chungdam, southern Seoul, has also made it to one of the top three in terms of sales.

    A third shop is scheduled to open in April in Dongdaemun, a busy shopping district.

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  • Paris Baguette opens in Las Vegas

    Paris Baguette opens in Las Vegas

    SPC Group has opened a Paris Baguette store in Las Vegas, a first in the Korean confectionery and bakery industry.

    The Las Vegas store is the company’s 44th store in the US, and located in the Grand Canal Shoppes, a large shopping mall located between two of the major hotels in Las Vegas, the Venetian and the Palazzo.

    The Paris Baguette store occupies two stories within the tourist hot spot, famous for its recreation of Venice, Italy.

    SPC Group announced that it has opened a Paris Baguette store in Las Vegas, which is a first in the Korean confectionery and bakery industry. (Image : SPC group)

    The biggest difference with the Las Vegas store is that it will be selling items such as sandwiches, muffins, and croissants that are popular in the area, and considering that the location is a tourist spot, the store will also sell items suitable as souvenirs.

    Gift sets, tumblers and mugs that have images or quotes representing Las Vegas will be available exclusively at the Las Vegas store.

    Paris Baguette first set foot in America in 2005. Since then, the company has opened 43 stores in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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