South Korean fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ Co. said Thursday it will open its first shop in Panama next month as part of its efforts to break into the central American market.

The shop will open in the San Francisco area of Panama City on May 17 to serve chicken and beer, a popular combination in South Korea, to customers.

BBQ said it has decided to open its first store in the central American region in Panama as the country is a major maritime route connecting North and South America.

Since launching its first foreign store in 2003, Genesis BBQ has opened about 700 stores across 57 countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada and Japan.

Genesis BBQ uses bb.q Chicken as its brand name.

Source: Yonhap News Agency