The first MOS Burger store in the Philippines opened this week, on the second floor of Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center.

MOS Food Services Inc chairman Atsushi Sakurada said the store is just one of many branches planned for Metro Manila this year.

MOS Burger Philippines was formed last year by MOS Food Services Inc of Japan and Tokyo Coffee Holdings in a joint venture agreement.

The first MOS Burger store in the Philippines brings the chain’s internationally popular burgers to the local market, including cheeseburgers, Wagyu Burger and Wagyu Rice Burger.

Founded in 1972, MOS Burger describes itself as fast casual. It is now Japan’s second-largest fast-food chain with 1300 stores domestically and 300 others around the world. In Asia it  already has outlets in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and South Korea and it plans to launch in Vietnam later this year.

Like other fast-food chains targeting rapidly growing Southeast Asian markets, MOS Burger faces a challenge in changing local consumers’ habits of eating cheap street food to trade up to burger meals which are comparatively expensive. 

The chain’s unique selling point is its burger buns, which are made of rice mixed with barley and millet. It positions its meals as healthier than traditional fast-food fare. 

Prior to its Philippines opening, MOS Burger offered the public burgers for two days last month to tease the market and test its operations.  

Alongside burgers, the first MOS Burger store in the Philippines serves fried chicken, coffees, teas and its signature lemonade. Burgers are priced from PHP 189 (US$3.72) to PHP 309 ($6.08) for the upscale Wagu burger, with beverages from PHP 68 ($1.34) to PHP 149 ($2.93). 

MOS stands for Mountain, Ocean and Sun.