Japanese Media Highlights Mom's Touch Success in a Market Where Local Brands Failed
Domestic Brands Launched in 2021, Mom's Touch Opened in Shibuya in 2024
K-Food Craze and Value-for-Money Products Drive Success Among Young Consumers
Mom's Touch: "5 Billion Yen Annual Sales in Shibuya... Expanding Both Direct and Franchise Stores"
While domestic brands have collapsed in the Japanese chicken burger market, only Korean chicken burgers are thriving. The main player is 'Mom's Touch,' which operated a popup store for three weeks in October 2023 and then opened its first location in Shibuya, Tokyo in April last year.
On May 28, Toyo Keizai Online published an article contributed by Ozeki Manami, editor-in-chief of Food Stadium, titled "The Identity of the Brand Succeeding in the Chicken Burger Market Amid the Failure of Other Brands." According to the report, chicken burgers were a major trend in the Japanese food service industry in 2021. Local brands such as Toriki Burger, Luckyro Chicken, and Doo Wop were launched one after another. In 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a slump in the food service industry, it was a natural trend to focus on hamburgers suitable for takeout and delivery.
At the time, many people expected a "chicken burger war" to begin, but four years later, the results are disappointing. Toriki Burger has far fewer stores than initially planned and, as of June 2025, operates only one store in Kyoto. Luckyro Chicken also has only one location remaining, and Doo Wop has already withdrawn from the market. While KFC continues to dominate, Mom's Touch, which came from Korea, is attracting attention.
In the early days of the Shibuya store opening, Mom's Touch actively promoted itself through street signs, media, and social media. The theme song "Mom Mom Mom's Touch~♪" was repeatedly played throughout the streets of Shibuya. Editor Ozeki said she was concerned about whether such flashy marketing was a good idea. Excessive promotion can raise expectations too high, potentially turning a brand into a "flash-in-the-pan" that quickly disappears.
Editor Ozeki visited Mom's Touch again recently, more than a year after its opening. She visited on a Saturday night at 8 p.m. About 60 to 70 percent of the seats were occupied, which was a decent level considering its location on a main street near Shibuya Station. She ordered the 'Cheese Thigh Burger' set for 900 yen. She commented that "the thick chicken patty was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a substantial volume," adding, "For this quantity and quality at a price under 1,000 yen, the cost performance is excellent. It made me want to eat it again." She also noted strong demand for delivery and takeout, with some customers ordering to go and delivery riders waiting in front of the store.
Mom's Touch announced that it recorded approximately 700,000 cumulative visitors over the past year, with a daily average of about 1,900 visitors and annual sales of around 500 million yen. The company plans to open 30 stores within this year, and Editor Ozeki predicts that, unlike previous failed cases, it is unlikely to end with just one or two stores.
She points to a clear target strategy as the key to Mom's Touch's success. Mom's Touch has set its main target as young people in their teens and twenties. The interior of the store is decorated with colorful neon signs, and the bright orange-toned decor feels dazzling even to the editor, who is in her mid-30s. In fact, most of the customers were in their 20s. The first store is located in Shibuya, a representative youth district. The next planned location is Harajuku, followed by Shimokitazawa, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro.
Another secret to success is the "TikTok-style" viral strategy. Editor Ozeki said, "TikTok was initially seen as an app for high school girls to dance, but now it is a platform enjoyed by all age groups. Mom's Touch is likely to follow this viral structure. In fact, Mom's Touch plans to open small franchise stores in suburban areas near Tokyo, such as Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Saitama."
Editor Ozeki also pointed out, "Existing Japanese brands targeted all age groups from the beginning. As a result, it became unclear who the stores were for, and they failed to achieve the expected results." She added, "Mom's Touch, which is penetrating the once impenetrable Japanese chicken burger market with a clear strategy, is drawing attention as to whether it can achieve results worthy of the title 'Korea's No. 1 Chicken & Burger Brand' in Japan as well. The future developments are worth watching."
What is Mom's Touch's own analysis? According to a press release in April, 'Shibuya Mom's Touch' recorded about 510 million yen (approximately 5 billion KRW) in cumulative sales over the past year. The company evaluated this as an overwhelming achievement, amounting to about twice the annual average sales of a local McDonald's store, which is the top burger franchise in Japan, and about seven times that of the local brand Mos Burger. The most popular burger, the 'Cheese Thigh Burger' (570 yen for a single, 900 yen for a set), is about 10 to 30 percent cheaper than the average lunch price (1,000 to 1,500 yen) in central Shibuya, but offers overwhelming taste and generous portions, directly targeting Japan's "cost performance (kosupa)" trend. Localized menu items such as the 'Cheese Bulgogi Burger' and 'Honey Garlic Thigh Burger' are popular choices that even Japanese people who have never experienced Korean food can enjoy without hesitation. The Korean-style seasoned chicken, 'Mom's Yangnyeom Thigh Boneless,' continues to be the top-selling item among the local chicken menu lineup.
Based on the successful operation of 'Shibuya Mom's Touch' over the past year, Mom's Touch plans to open its second directly managed store, 'Harajuku Mom's Touch,' in the first half of the year. This will be the brand's largest location, with about 300 seats and 550 square meters. The company is also searching for additional sites to open directly managed stores in key commercial districts such as Shinjuku and Ikebukuro in the second half of the year. In addition to directly managed stores, the local franchise business is also accelerating. 'Mom's Touch Tokyo' signed its first corporate franchise agreement with a local Japanese company earlier this year and aims to sign a total of 30 franchise contracts by the end of the year, speeding up its expansion in the Japanese market. In early next year, the company has confirmed the opening of a franchise store in the Odaiba complex shopping mall, a famous tourist destination in Tokyo.
A Mom's Touch representative stated, "We started as a latecomer in the domestic burger market and rapidly expanded our franchise network, and based on the know-how gained from successfully launching our first overseas directly managed store, Shibuya Mom's Touch, we are quickly establishing ourselves in the Japanese food service market with a two-track strategy of opening both directly managed and franchise stores. Having proven our product competitiveness to Japanese customers over the past year, Mom's Touch will now actively expand its store network throughout Japan, with Tokyo as the hub, while continuously introducing menus and services tailored to the needs and preferences of Japanese consumers. We aim to grow as a leading K-food brand that naturally integrates into the daily lives of customers."
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