Mom’s Touch, the South Korean burger and chicken chain, has signed a master franchise agreement for Kazakhstan with Mom’s Touch Central Asia LLP, the restaurant arm of local food group Shin Line Group. Seoul Economic Daily reported on October 26, 2026 that the brand plans more than 50 stores in the country over the next 10 years, with rights that also cover Kyrgyzstan.
Under a master franchise, a local operator receives the rights to run the brand and develop franchise outlets in a defined territory. In this case the operator is Mom’s Touch Central Asia LLP, a vehicle of Shin Line Group, which was founded in 1995. Seoul Economic Daily reports that the group holds more than 40% of the Central Asian ice cream market and exports food products to about 10 Commonwealth of Independent States countries, including Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.
The group runs its own refrigerated and frozen logistics network and has experience operating a Korean convenience store brand. Mom’s Touch plans to use that distribution base, which matters for a restaurant model that depends on chilled and frozen ingredient transport.
The opening menu centers on chicken burgers made with whole chicken leg patties, plus fried chicken. The report links the lineup to the food culture of Kazakhstan, where about 70% of the population is Muslim. Mom’s Touch also intends to bring its quick-service platform that sells burgers, chicken and pizza at a single location.
“We will strengthen the synergy between our Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan businesses.”
A Mom’s Touch official made that comment, as translated by Seoul Economic Daily from Korean. The company says it will first build awareness and store operations in Kazakhstan before moving into Kyrgyzstan and nearby countries, and describes a longer-term aim of building the brand across the “Silk Road” markets that link the Middle East and Europe.
The Central Asia agreement follows the brand’s earlier overseas moves that VF has covered, including its Singapore master franchise and its Japan franchise push. It also sits within a wider run of Korean concepts signing regional partners, as seen in Korean franchise opportunities in Southeast Asia and the Gulf and Korean brands entering Laos through a Mekong master franchise.
Three points stand out. First, the partner is a food-distribution group rather than a pure restaurant operator, which moves supply chain control to the front of the deal. Second, a single agreement covers two countries, so territory scope is part of what an incoming brand negotiates. Third, a 10-year, 50-store target gives a measurable benchmark against which a master franchisee’s rollout can be tracked. For investors comparing regions, the structure resembles what international franchisors look for in a master franchisee elsewhere in Asia Pacific and MENA.
Source: Seoul Economic Daily — Mom’s Touch Enters Kazakhstan, Targets 50 Stores in 10 Years
