Genesis BBQ seeks to rule Latin American roost with 3rd Panama store

BBQ's newly established third store in Panama [GENESIS BBQ]

Korean fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ said Tuesday that it opened a third store in Panama as part of efforts to solidify its position in the Latin American market.

The new store is located at Costa Verde Market Plaza in the city of La Chorrera.

Following the opening of its first store in Panama City last October, BBQ has seven stores operating across Latin America, a company spokesman said, adding that the remaining four are located in neighboring Costa Rica.

The newly established BBQ Costa Verde Market Plaza store spans 250 square meters (2,700 square feet) and can accommodate over 70 customers.

Costa Verde Market Plaza is a large urban outlet frequented by young people and families, as it offers great accessibility to the highway leading to Panama City and a variety of brands, making it a popular destination for local residents.

The franchise offers a range of chicken dishes, including Golden Olive Chicken and Honey Garlic Chicken, as well as other K-food items such as tteokbokki, spicy rice cakes, and kimchi fried rice.

It also features special menu items such as bingsu, a milk based shaved ice dessert topped with chopped fruits and sweets, as well as soju cocktails.

"Leveraging Panama and Costa Rica as a foothold, we plan to expand further into Latin America,” BBQ’s spokesperson said.

The company is currently operating in 57 countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Japan.

BY CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]