Galleria to Open Five Guys' First Store in Korea in Gangnam This June

Opening of 150-Seat 1st Branch on Gangnam-daero Between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station
First Challenge at Gangnam Station with High Foot Traffic

Galleria, Five Guys Korea's First Store Expected Rendering [Photo by Hanwha Galleria].

Hanwha Galleria's first domestic store of the famous American hamburger brand 'Five Guys', which is preparing for launch, will open at the end of June. The first store in Korea is set to be located in the middle of Gangnam-daero, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station. The store size is 618㎡ (about 184 pyeong) across two floors, with around 150 seats.

Hanwha Galleria stated on the 6th, "As this is a brand launching for the first time, we wanted to introduce Five Guys to as many customers as possible, so we chose to open the first store near Gangnam Station, which has the highest daily foot traffic in Korea and attracts a wide range of age groups."

Galleria plans to maximize the 'originality' from cooking methods to service, led by Director Kim Dong-seon, who oversaw the entire process of acquiring the Five Guys brand. They insist on using fresh ingredients during cooking and are focusing on securing a stable supply chain to deliver the same quality as the products in the U.S.

Five Guys is the first new business that Director Kim, who joined Galleria in February last year, has led from brand review to contract signing. Ahead of the brand launch, Director Kim has been actively promoting by posting Five Guys-related content consecutively on his social media accounts.

Five Guys operates over 1,800 stores in 23 countries, mainly in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Korea is the sixth Asian market after Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, and Macau. Galleria plans to open more than 15 stores domestically over five years, starting with the first store in June.

Five Guys will begin hiring staff for the first domestic store this month, and key personnel will undergo about six weeks of cooking and service training in Hong Kong. A Hanwha Galleria official said, "From the 8th, hoardings (temporary partitions) will be installed on the building, and full-scale construction will begin," adding, "We will strive to preserve the brand's originality as much as possible."

Kim Dong-seon, Head of Strategy at Hanwha Galleria (right), and William Pitcher, Executive Vice President of Five Guys International, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing an agreement to promote Five Guys' domestic business at The Plaza in Seoul last October.
[Photo by Hanwha Galleria].