Taiwanese restaurant operator Wowprime is expanding into the US.

Wowprime has established a joint venture with a US company Panda Restaurant Group to launch the barbecue restaurant brand Yakiyan next year.

“In the beginning, the brand’s US expansion is set to focus on the west coast of the US, where there are a higher percentage of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants,” said Yakiyan VP John Wu said.

“However, in the long run, we hope Yakiyan can break into the mainstream market in the US,” he said.

Domestically, Wowprime will open its 25th Yakiyan outlet in Taoyuan’s Taimall mall next month.

Yakiyan is Wowprime’s third brand launched overseas after Tokiya in Thailand and Sufood in Singapore.