Mom's Touch to enter Kazakhstan through local food conglomerate

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