News

Slapfish swimming into South Korea

December 9, 2016

Slapfish is planting a flag next year in Seoul, South Korea, with plans to open 10 restaurants across the country over the next three years, according to a company press release.
 
South Koreans consume over 100 pounds of seafood per person each year, compared to 16 pounds per person in the U.S. Based on these statistics, the country is a natural fit for Slapfish to continue spreading its brand of fresh seafood, said Chef  Andrew Gruel, founder and CEO of Slapfish.
 
"South Koreans will soon discover Slapfish is the answer to all their crave-worthy seafood wishes," he said. "With our menu of seasonally rotating, gourmet dishes in a fast casual setting, guests experience the quality of fine dining with the cost and convenience of fast food. Also setting us apart is the fact that we only serve the freshest fish and shellfish sourced from well-managed, responsible suppliers of sustainable seafood."
 
Founded in 2011, Slapfish has seven brick-and-mortar locations open in Orange County and Los Angeles, California, and has signed agreements to open new restaurants in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Texas, as well as in the UK, in 2017.

Gruel is seeking franchise partners across the U.S. and internationally to assist him in expanding the chef-driven concept and raising awareness about the benefits of eating more seafood.
 
"Not only will our entry into South Korea accelerate our ability to scale domestically, we will also use it as a springboard to quicken our growth into neighboring countries, including China," Gruel said. "Slapfish is an incredible concept with unlimited growth potential, and we look forward to making sustainable seafood an international staple as we continue to expand across the world."