What are Mom’s Touch’s plans for opening restaurants in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan?

The master franchise deal covers both countries, but Mom’s Touch said it will first establish its brand in Kazakhstan and then gradually consider nearby markets. The companies aim to open more than 50 stores over the next 10 years, with the first store targeted for the first half of next year.

Why did Mom’s Touch choose Shin-Line Group as its Kazakhstan franchise partner?

Shin-Line is Central Asia’s top ice cream maker, with a market share of more than 40 percent across the region. It also exports to about 10 Commonwealth of Independent States countries using its own cold-chain logistics network and operates more than 70 stores of a Korean convenience store brand, mainly in Almaty.

What food will Mom’s Touch offer in Kazakhstan, and how does it fit local demand?

The company said chicken suits Kazakhstan, where about 70 percent of the population is Muslim and demand for chicken is high. Mom’s Touch plans to lead with its signature chicken burger made with a thick whole-thigh fillet, and its stores will also sell pizza.

Mom's Touch to enter Kazakhstan through local food conglomerate

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Summary

Mom’s Touch signed a master franchise agreement with Mom’s Touch Central Asia LLP to enter Kazakhstan, expanding its Central Asian presence after entering Uzbekistan last year. The companies aim to open more than 50 stores over 10 years, with the first targeted for the first half of next year; the deal also covers Kyrgyzstan. Mom’s Touch plans to establish the brand in Kazakhstan before considering nearby markets.

Key Facts

Mom’s Touch Central Asia LLP is the restaurant arm of Kazakh food company Shin-Line Group.
Founded in 1995, Shin-Line is Central Asia’s top ice cream maker, with more than 40 percent of the regional market.
Shin-Line exports to about 10 Commonwealth of Independent States countries through its own cold-chain logistics network and operates more than 70 stores of a Korean convenience store brand, mainly in Almaty.
The company said about 70 percent of Kazakhstan’s population is Muslim and demand for chicken is high.
Mom’s Touch plans to lead with its signature chicken burger made with a thick whole-thigh fillet, and stores will also sell pizza.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Oct 26, 2026 1:32 pm KST

Shin-Line Group headquarters in Kazakhstan / Courtesy of Mom’s Touch

Korean burger and chicken chain Mom’s Touch will enter Kazakhstan, expanding its presence in Central Asia after entering Uzbekistan last year, the company said Monday.

Mom’s Touch said it signed a master franchise agreement with Mom’s Touch Central Asia LLP, the restaurant arm of Kazakh food company Shin-Line Group. Under such agreements, a local partner gains the rights to open and operate stores and to sub-franchise in a given territory. The two companies aim to open more than 50 stores over the next 10 years. The first store is targeted for the first half of next year.

The deal also covers neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Mom’s Touch said it will first establish the brand in Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest economy, and then gradually consider entering nearby markets.

Founded in 1995, Shin-Line is Central Asia’s top ice cream maker, with a market share of more than 40 percent across the region. It exports to about 10 countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of former Soviet republics, through its own cold-chain logistics network. It also operates more than 70 stores of a Korean convenience store brand, mainly in Almaty.

Shin-Line Chairman Andrey Shin is a third-generation Koryo-saram, the term for ethnic Koreans in the former Soviet Union. Many descend from those deported from the Russian Far East to Central Asia in 1937.

The company said its chicken-focused menu suits Kazakhstan, where about 70 percent of the population is Muslim and demand for chicken is high. It will lead with its signature chicken burger made with a thick whole-thigh fillet. Stores will also sell pizza.

“Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are strategic markets with high growth potential that are also well positioned for expansion into neighboring countries,” a Mom’s Touch official said.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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