Customers wait in a long line to visit a Mom's Touch pop-up store, held in Shibuya, Tokyo, for three weeks last October. (Mom's Touch)

South Korean chicken and burger chain Mom’s Touch announced Tuesday that it has entered into the Japanese fast-food restaurant market by opening its first direct store overseas in Shibuya, Tokyo.

The new venue, which used to be the former site of McDonald's Japan for 39 years, spans approximately 418 square meters of floor space and includes 220 seats distributed over three floors. Strategically located near Shibuya Scramble Square and Shibuya Station, the bustling hub of the Japanese capital, the company aims to attract both local and international patrons.

This official entry comes after the success of a Mom’s Touch pop-up store in Shibuya last October, which gathered around 33,000 visitors over three weeks.

Encouraged by the anticipation, all 13,000 reservation slots were booked up rapidly in the two weeks leading up to the official launch.

The store will feature signature menu items such as the Thigh Burger and Korean-style seasoned chicken, the same products confirmed through preliminary surveys on Japanese customers.

Beyond the launch, the company is set to actively seek local partnership opportunities to broaden its franchise operations within Japan.

"Through the Shibuya direct store, we will convey to Japanese consumers our brand's inherent value of 'Best burger, Best price.' We plan to develop the Shibuya store into a landmark representing Korean burgers in the global market and use it as a base camp for future global expansion," said Kim Dong-jeon, CEO of Mom's Touch.

Mom's Touch also aims to look beyond Japan, accelerating its international presence.

The company has outlined plans for expansion in Thailand and Mongolia, aiming to increase its master franchise store count to 12 and 10 from six and four, respectively. Additionally, it is targeting further expansion into Asian nations with a keen interest in Korean cuisine, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Kazakhstan, the company said.