Express Food Group, a subsidiary of Bangkok-based RMA Group, will open its first Thai-based Bar B Q Plaza restaurant brand by the end of this month, according to a company announcement yesterday.

The flagship branch will open in Phnom Penh’s Aeon Mall, bringing a fusion of Mongolian and Japanese-style self-cooking restaurants to Cambodia’s already crowded barbecue restaurant scene.

Ngorn Saing, chief executive officer of RMA Cambodia, said that by securing exclusive franchise rights for Bar B Q Plaza from Thai Food Passion Co, the new restaurant will add to its growing portfolio of franchises that include The Pizza Company, Dairy Queen, Costa Coffee and Krispy Kreme.

“As a pioneer and leading restaurant-franchise operator in the Kingdom of Cambodia since 2004, the addition of Bar B Q Plaza to our growing family of international restaurants will allow us to keep offering higher standard food and greater dining experience,” said Saing.

EFG has high hopes for the barbecue restaurant chain, with Saing adding that the group is targeting 10 branches across the country within five years.

“The expansion will bring nearly 100 new jobs to the locations in major cities, bringing the distribution workforce to over 1,300,” the release said.

Bar B Q Plaza already has 113 branches across Thailand, 17 in Malaysia and two in Indonesia. The brand’s owner, Thai Food Passion Co, is aiming to have 30 new branches in Asean by 2020.