Mom's Touch

Mom's Touch is a South Korean quick-service restaurant brand headquartered in Seoul. Its menu centers on chicken burgers, fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, and other casual fast-food sides. The brand name expresses the idea that its food is prepared with the care associated with a mother cooking for her family. In the Korean market, Mom's Touch has built its identity around freshly prepared, handmade-style food, accessible pricing, substantial portions, and a strong emphasis on chicken-based products. The business was established in Seoul in 1997. A major restructuring took place in 2004, when chief executive Chung Hyun-sik took over the business on the condition that its deficit be assumed and the operation be separated into Haimarrow Food Service. The company experienced a prolonged difficult period and did not report operating profit from 2004 through 2010. It subsequently improved its performance, recording its first profit in 2013 and reporting operating profit of approximately 26 billion Korean won that year, according to the cited historical account. Mom's Touch expanded its domestic store network during the following decade and became one of South Korea's recognizable local burger and chicken chains. Its core offerings include chicken thigh burgers, chicken fillet burgers, spicy chicken burgers, bulgogi burgers, fried chicken wings, and flavor variations such as spicy, chili pepper, honey, garlic, onion cheese, and curry. The menu also includes fries, fried shrimp, yakimandu, salads, and chicken wraps. The company has stated that its products do not use trans-fat oils or monosodium glutamate, although specific product formulations can vary by market and period. The brand began international expansion with the opening of its first United States location in Concord, California, in January 2018. Its international footprint has also included Thailand and Mongolia. The United States business was later wound down; by August 2024, the chain no longer operated in the country after the closure of its City of Industry, California location. Japan became another target market, with a first Shibuya location planned for April 2024. The reference material identifies stores or operations in South Korea, Thailand, Mongolia, and Japan as of the relevant period. Ownership and corporate structure also changed. On November 5, 2019, Haimarrow Food Service, the company operating Mom's Touch, was sold to the private-equity fund KL & Partners for 7.3 billion Korean won. In 2021, the corporate name was changed to Mom's Touch & Co., and the brand replaced its longstanding red logo with a yellow one. These changes accompanied the continued development of the chain as a large domestic franchise and restaurant network. Mom's Touch advertising has generally used humorous television commercials, often contrasting the portions offered by competitors with the larger-looking portions associated with Mom's Touch. The brand has also appeared in webtoon-related promotion, including exposure in Lookism, whose restaurants were drawn by Park Tae-jun. As of 2025, the chain was reported to have more than 1,400 stores nationwide in South Korea. Its current identity remains that of a value-oriented Korean fast-food chain combining burgers, fried chicken, and locally adapted side dishes with a handmade and family-care positioning.

Mom's Touch was established in Seoul in 1997 as a Korean fast-food business focused on burgers and chicken. Its most important early turning point came in 2004, when Chung Hyun-sik took over the operation as part of a restructuring that required the business to absorb its deficit and separate from its previous structure into Haimarrow Food Service. The company then underwent several years of weak financial performance and recorded no operating profit from 2004 through 2010. The business began to stabilize during the early 2010s. It recorded its first profit in 2013 and reported operating profit of approximately 26 billion Korean won that year. Its domestic growth was supported by a menu built around chicken burgers, fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, and Korean-style side dishes. Rather than presenting itself solely as a conventional American-style burger chain, Mom's Touch developed a local value proposition based on fresh preparation, handmade-style products, substantial portions, and accessible prices. International expansion began with the opening of a Concord, California restaurant in January 2018. The company later operated or pursued operations in markets including Thailand, Mongolia, Japan, and the United States. The American presence was ultimately discontinued; by August 2024, the last identified United States operation, in City of Industry, California, had closed. The company continued to pursue other overseas markets, including Japan, where a first Shibuya store was scheduled for April 2024. Corporate ownership changed on November 5, 2019, when KL & Partners acquired Haimarrow Food Service, the operator of Mom's Touch, in a transaction reported at 7.3 billion Korean won. In 2021, the company changed its name to Mom's Touch & Co. The consumer-facing visual identity was also revised, replacing the established red logo with a yellow design. Mom's Touch has used comedic television advertising to emphasize portion size and contrast its food with smaller servings attributed to other fast-food companies. It also received exposure through webtoon-related appearances, including restaurants depicted in Lookism. By 2025, the chain was reported to have more than 1,400 stores nationwide in South Korea. Its historical development therefore combines a difficult restructuring period, a later return to profitability, expansion into a large domestic network, private-equity ownership, brand redesign, and selective international growth.

• 2025

  Domestic network exceeds 1,400 stores

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  Mom's Touch is reported to operate more than 1,400 stores nationwide in South Korea.

• 2024

  United States operations end

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  The chain's United States operations end by August after the closure of its City of Industry location.

• 2021

  Corporate renaming and logo change

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  The company becomes Mom's Touch & Co. and changes the brand logo from red to yellow.

• 2019

  Acquisition by KL & Partners

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  KL & Partners acquires Haimarrow Food Service, the operator of Mom's Touch.

• 2018

  First United States location

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  Mom's Touch opens its first American restaurant in Concord, California.

• 2013

  First reported profit

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  The company records its first profit and reports approximately 26 billion Korean won in operating profit.

• 2004

  Restructuring under Chung Hyun-sik

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  Chung Hyun-sik takes over the business under a restructuring arrangement involving its deficit and the creation of Haimarrow Food Service.

• 1997

  Mom's Touch is established

  [1]Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org

  The South Korean fast-food business is established in Seoul.

Value-oriented Korean quick-service dining that emphasizes freshly prepared, handmade-style burgers and chicken, generous portions, and family-care associations.

• Burgers

  Chicken burgers

  Chicken burgers are the brand's central offering. The range includes chicken thigh, chicken fillet, spicy chicken, white garlic, ham and cheese, jalapeño chicken, and Cajun mango variants. The products support Mom's Touch's positioning around freshly prepared, substantial fast food rather than a narrow beef-burger menu.

• Burgers

  Hamburgers

  The hamburger range includes bulgogi burgers, spicy bulgogi burgers, and junior burgers. These products adapt familiar burger formats to Korean flavor preferences and provide a non-chicken option within the chain's broader menu.

• Chicken

  Fried chicken and wings

  Fried chicken and wings form the other major pillar of Mom's Touch. Wings and related chicken products have been offered in flavors including spicy, chili pepper, honey, garlic, onion cheese, and curry, giving the chain a broader chicken-focused range than a typical burger-only quick-service restaurant.

• Sides

  Sides and snacks

  Side dishes include French fries, yakimandu, fried shrimp, salads, and chicken wraps. The mix combines conventional quick-service accompaniments with items reflecting Korean and wider Asian snack preferences.

• Portion-size comparison television advertising

  South Korea

  Mom's Touch advertising has frequently used comedic television commercials in which comparatively small portions associated with other companies are contrasted with the visibly larger portions presented by Mom's Touch.

  Outcome. Reinforced the brand's generous-portion and value positioning.

  Source
• Lookism webtoon exposure

  South Korea

  Mom's Touch received promotional or brand exposure through the webtoon Lookism, in which restaurants were depicted by creator Park Tae-jun.

  Outcome. Extended brand visibility into Korean webtoon culture.

  Source

• 2024

  Withdraw from the United StatesStrategy

  Background

  The chain's American expansion did not continue to an enduring operating network.

  Action taken

  The remaining identified United States location in City of Industry, California, was closed.

  Aftermath

  By August 2024, Mom's Touch no longer operated in the United States while maintaining or pursuing operations in other overseas markets.

  Source

• 2021

  Refresh the corporate and visual identityStrategy

  Background

  The company pursued a corporate identity update after the ownership change.

  Action taken

  The company changed its name to Mom's Touch & Co. and replaced its red logo with a yellow logo.

  Aftermath

  The revised identity became the brand's updated public-facing presentation.

  Source

• 2019

  Sale to KL & PartnersM&A

  Background

  Haimarrow Food Service operated the Mom's Touch chain and was subject to an ownership transaction.

  Action taken

  Private-equity fund KL & Partners acquired Haimarrow Food Service.

  Aftermath

  Mom's Touch continued under private-equity ownership and later adopted the Mom's Touch & Co. corporate name.

  Reported transaction value. 7.3 billion Korean won (November 5, 2019)

  Source

• 2018

  Enter the United StatesStrategy

  Background

  Mom's Touch began testing international growth beyond its South Korean base.

  Action taken

  The chain opened its first United States restaurant in Concord, California.

  Aftermath

  The United States operation was later closed, and no American stores remained by August 2024.

  Source

• 2004

  Restructure and separate the operating businessStrategy

  Background

  The business faced a deficit and required restructuring after Chung Hyun-sik took over Mom's Touch.

  Action taken

  The operation was reorganized through Haimarrow Food Service, with the deficit taken on as part of the takeover arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The company entered a prolonged recovery period before returning to profit in 2013.

  Source

1. 1Mom's Touchen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mom's Touch official websitemomstouch.co.kr