Mom's Touch opens 20th Mongolia store, ranks No. 2 in local QSR market

Mom's Touch has opened its 20th store in Mongolia, making it the No. 2 quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand in the country by store count, the company announced Monday.

Mom's Touch entered Mongolia in April 2023 through a master franchise arrangement. Starting with its first location, "E-mart Bayangol," in the capital Ulaanbaatar that September, the chain opened its 20th store — "Nomin Macro" — two years and 10 months later.

Mom's Touch now ranks second in Mongolia by store count, trailing only KFC, which has 29 locations and entered the market in 2013. It has also surpassed Burger King, which currently operates 18 stores and entered in 2015.

Since entering Mongolia in 2023, Mom's Touch has opened an average of 6.2 stores per year, outpacing KFC's 2.4 and Burger King's 1.8 — a rate 2.5 to three times faster than its rivals. The chain's strength as a QSR platform offering burgers, chicken and pizza under one roof has driven the strong response.

Mom's Touch added pizza to its menu last September at the request of its local partner, expanding beyond its original burger and chicken lineup. Pizza is now available at 10 of its 20 stores and accounts for more than 20 percent of sales at those locations, establishing it as a key growth driver. Loading pizzas with heavier meat toppings — tailored to Mongolia's meat-heavy food culture — has also proven effective.

A targeted store-opening strategy has also paid off. Recognizing that Mongolian dining culture skews heavily toward family groups, Mom's Touch has opened large, comfortable stores seating more than 100, alongside smaller-format locations. The brand has also expanded beyond office and commercial districts to residential neighborhoods and areas near schools, broadening its footprint across a wider range of key commercial zones.

A company official said Mom's Touch aims to operate 25 stores by year-end, adding that if the current growth trajectory continues, the chain could become the top QSR brand in Mongolia by store count as early as the end of next year.