Fast food chain McDonald’s has signed an agreement with a local franchise partner to enter Vietnam.

The first outlet will open in Ho Chi Minh City in “early 2014”, making Vietnam its 38th Asian market.

McDonald’s has signed Henry Nguyen of Good Day Hospitality as developmental licensee for Vietnam.

“Henry Nguyen is that ideal business partner who has an impressive business background and proven track record in driving new business ventures in Vietnam,” said Dave Hoffmann, president of McDonald’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region.

“We will be focused on meeting our customers’ needs and will work hard to exceed their every expectation,” said McDonald’s Corporation president and CEO Don Thompson.

The contract with Nguyen as developmental licensee is the result of what McDonald’s describes as “a rigorous selection process” that began years ago.

“Nguyen brings a strong passion for the brand that he developed while working as a part-time crew member for McDonald’s as a young student in the US,” the burger chain said.

“I have been a big fan of McDonald’s my whole life and have had so many wonderful experiences there, including one of my first jobs when I was a teenager. I have dreamed of one day opening a McDonald’s restaurant in my native country ever since my return to Vietnam more than a decade ago,” Nguyen said.

“I have been in contact with McDonald’s over the years sharing the opportunity that exists in our country.”

Vietnam is one of over 65 markets worldwide where the McDonald’s development licensee (DL) structure has been deployed. The developmental license model is a form of franchising that McDonald’s has been using for more than 30 years around the world to grow the brand.