INTERVIEW Mom's Touch set to soar as nationwide burger brand in Japan
Mom's Touch CEO Kim Dong-jeon poses with the company's Mega Thigh Burger set at the company's Shibuya restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Courtesy of Mom's Touch
The head of the Korean chicken burger chain Mom's Touch said the company aims to become a nationwide brand in Japan, leveraging its successful franchise business in Korea and benefiting from the renewed popularity of hallyu (Korean wave) in the neighboring country.
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Mom's Touch CEO Kim Dong-jeon revealed that after the enthusiastic reception of the company's first restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya district, which opened in April, he aims to expand the quick service restaurant market across Japan through a partnership with a Japanese counterpart. He is exploring the possibility of entering into either a master franchise deal or a joint venture partnership.
To maintain the Shibuya restaurant as a local landmark and expand its quick service restaurant network throughout the rest of Japan, Kim explained that he has opted not to establish a new legal entity there, which would involve high investment costs and other risks. Instead, he has chosen a more efficient approach, where he plans to entrust the operating rights of future local restaurants to a Japanese master franchise partner. In return, Mom's Touch will receive brand loyalty fees from the partner.
Kim has already expanded Mom's Touch into Thailand with the opening of the first restaurant in 2022, followed by Mongolia the following year, both through master franchise deals.
"In Japan, we launched a directly managed store in Shibuya because we had confirmed exceptional local reception around the restaurant when we introduced it as a pop-up store last October and even after we officially opened it last month," said Kim, who is currently so busy with his business in Japan that he doesn't plan to return to Seoul until next month.
Customers line up outside Mom's Touch in Shibuya, Tokyo, April 16 when the restaurant officially opened. Courtesy of Mom's Touch
"So we wanted to start our business in Japan quickly. Besides, considering Japan's distinguished position in the global QSR market, launching a local subsidiary there was worth it."
To Kim, the Japanese market holds a similar significance as Korea does for global quick service restaurant brands like McDonald's or Burger King. Just as these fast-food giants earn brand loyalty fees from their master franchise partners in Korea, Kim envisions Mom's Touch doing the same in Japan as an original Korean brand.
"We've already dominated the Korean QSR (quick service restaurant) market with the most number of restaurants, beating McDonald's and Burger King," Kim said.
Despite launching its business in 2004, which is much later compared to global rivals that started in the 1980s, Mom's Touch has surged ahead in the competition with 1,420 restaurants. In contrast, McDonald's has around 400 restaurants, and Burger King has just over 490.
"We want to revive that on a global stage, making our brand more prominent in the global QSR market."
Shibuya becomes hub
Kim's optimistic outlook is grounded in the undeniable success of the Shibuya restaurant. Over three weeks in October, he witnessed a steady stream of eager customers lining up every morning, with people waiting outside for hours. The reception grew even more intense when the restaurant officially opened last month, attracting an average of 3,000 visitors every day.
At the heart of this popularity are Mom's Touch's signature items — the Thigh Burger and Sweet and Spicy Chicken — which Kim considers authentically Korean. These flavors have significantly contributed to the brand's local recognition.
In a recent survey by ING Shibuya Trend Research on April 15, Mom's Touch was ranked No. 1 on a Top 10 trend list selected by local high school students. Out of 1,054 visitors to the restaurant, 96 percent responded to the company's survey saying they would revisit the restaurant. Seventy-five percent of them cited "taste" as a key reason, noting flavors they had never experienced in the Japanese quick service restaurant market before.
Mom's Touch in Ulaanbaatar, the franchise's fourth restaurant in Mongolia, is filled with customers, March 25. Courtesy of Mom's Touch
According to Kim, the surge in local consumption in Japan was fueled by the fervor of the Korean wave (hallyu). This was evidenced during the pop-up store in Shibuya, where one floor was dedicated to "The Remarried Empress," a popular Korean webtoon in Japan. An exhibit there featured replicas of costumes and furniture from the webtoon, resonating strongly with Japanese customers.
"Hallyu is sweeping through Japan right now," Kim said. "The Japanese Generation Z has propelled Korean fashion, cartoons, interior designs, and other products to go viral, particularly Korean food. Japanese social media frequently showcases 'the most popular foods in Korea' or 'places to go and eat in Korea right now.' The Shibuya Trend Research survey emerged even before our Shibuya restaurant officially opened, highlighting the considerable attention we've captured from Japan's trendiest generation."
Mom's Touch is also refining its market strategies in Korea to ensure its offerings reach a broader audience. Leveraging the market growth demonstrated by its expanding network of franchises, the company has started establishing more restaurants in strategic areas of Seoul's bustling downtown areas.
Following the opening of a new restaurant in the Hakdong Station area last October, the company has expanded its footprint by launching new restaurants in Daechi, Bangbae, Seolleung, and Gangnam. Moreover, popular tourist destinations such as DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), N Seoul Tower, Yeouido Han River Park, and Busan's Haeundae Beach have also welcomed new Mom's Touch restaurants. Kim emphasized that it was crucial to extend their market presence from alleyways to main thoroughfares.
"Cost-effectiveness is in our DNA. It's also in our fried chicken and pizzas," said Kim, who wants to further solidify the company's presence in the quick service restaurant market here. "We kept our latest fried chicken product priced below 20,000 won ($14.60) when other brands have raised it to over the figure because of inflation and rising costs here. We even slashed the prices of our pizzas by 1,000 won last month despite the harsh market conditions to keep our consumers satisfied."
Who is Kim Dong-jeon?
Born in 1977, Kim started his career by working for Samsung Electronics' wireless business division. After working there as a senior manager until 2015, he moved to private equity firm, KL & Partners, which now operates Mom's Touch & Co. He serves as vice-president of KL & Partners and became CEO of Mom's Touch in 2021.
Kim graduated from Yonsei University's College of Liberal Arts in 2001 and from the Graduate School of Economics at the same university in 2004.
