Mos Burger in Vietnam will open its first store in Ho Chi Minh City later this year.

The company plans to set up a joint venture in the country next month and open 10 outlets in the next three years. 

Last October, Mos Burger partnered with Danang Tourism College to run a training program called Bentonamu Kazoku where Vietnamese candidates could undertake training courses at Mos Burger stores in Japan before returning home to work as managers.

The company said it will recruit 350 people in four years under its work-visa program.

Mos Burger in Vietnam’s recruiting strategy is not only to enhance the quality and training of staff there, but also to help its Japanese franchisees address labour shortages arising from the country’s ageing population.

While Vietnam may be the fast-growing retail market in Southeast Asia, it could prove a challenge for Mos Burger as other fast-food franchises have discovered that changing local consumers’ habits of eating cheap street food to relatively expensive burgers is not an easy mission.