"Teams up with a Koryo-saram company"... Mom's Touch signs deal to enter Kazakhstan

[Financial News] Mom’s Touch is moving to open stores in Kazakhstan after signing a master franchise agreement with a local diversified food company, accelerating its expansion into Central Asia. According to industry sources on the 26th, Mom’s Touch signed a master franchise (MF) agreement with the foodservice subsidiary of Kazakhstan-based diversified food company Shin-Line Group. Under the agreement, Mom’s Touch and its partner plan to gradually expand to at least 50 stores over the next 10 years, starting with the opening of their first local store in the first half of next year.
Kazakhstan has the largest economy in Central Asia, and Muslims make up 70% of its population. Its food culture favors chicken among meats, giving Mom’s Touch’s flagship menu item—chicken burgers made with whole chicken thigh meat—the potential to compete effectively.
The agreement covers the Kyrgyzstan market, a neighboring country, as well as Kazakhstan.
Shin-Line Group, Mom’s Touch’s partner, is the leading company in Central Asia’s overall ice cream market, with a market share of at least 40%, and has established a solid business base in food manufacturing and distribution.
Shin-Line Group Chairman Andrey Shin is a third-generation Koryo-saram businessperson who has contributed to the development of local Korean and Koryo-saram communities, serving in roles including chairman of the Almaty Korean Ethnic Center. Mom’s Touch expects that Chairman Shin’s understanding of Korean food culture and brands, combined with Shin-Line Group’s local business capabilities and Mom’s Touch’s expertise in quality and operations, will create synergies in establishing a foothold in the local market.
A Mom’s Touch spokesperson said, "We expect Shin-Line Group’s cold-chain and retail infrastructure developed across Central Asia, its experience localizing K-retail franchises, and the leadership of Chairman Andrey Shin, a third-generation Koryo-saram, to help us establish a foothold in the local market and accelerate our business expansion across Central Asia."

[email protected] Park Kyung-ho Reporter