GEN Announces Expansion into 300 Safeway Stores, Increasing Retail Distribution to 600 Locations in California and Hawaii

GEN expands its grocery presence with Ready-to-Cook Meats in 300 Safeway stores, totaling 600 locations in California and Hawaii.

Quiver AI Summary

GEN, a leader in Korean BBQ dining and ready-to-cook meal solutions, has announced a significant expansion in retail distribution by partnering with 300 Safeway stores, alongside a recent agreement with 300 Pavilions, Albertsons, and Vons stores. This expansion will make its popular Ready-to-Cook Meats line available in 600 grocery stores across California and Hawaii by the end of November 2025. David Kim, CEO of GEN, expressed enthusiasm about the rapid growth, emphasizing the strong consumer demand for authentic Korean BBQ and the effectiveness of their product scaling strategy. GEN Korean BBQ operates 57 locations in the U.S., known for its interactive dining experience where guests cook their meals at the table.

Potential Positives

Expansion into 300 Safeway stores significantly increases the company's retail footprint, bringing total distribution in California and Hawaii to 600 grocery stores.
The rapid expansion of the Ready-to-Cook Meats line demonstrates strong consumer demand and effective growth strategy execution.
The partnership with major grocery chains enhances brand visibility and accessibility, potentially driving higher sales volumes.

Potential Negatives

Rapid expansion into grocery retail may strain resources and logistics, potentially affecting product quality and customer satisfaction.
The announcement of a sudden increase in the number of stores may raise concerns about the company's ability to maintain consistent brand standards across a larger footprint.
Expansion into 600 stores shortly after launching a new product line could indicate a lack of market testing or preparedness to meet potential demand.

FAQ

What new grocery stores are partnering with GEN Korean BBQ?

GEN Korean BBQ has partnered with 300 Safeway stores, in addition to partnership with Pavilions, Albertsons, and Vons.

How many total stores carry GEN's Ready-to-Cook Meats?

Over 600 grocery stores across California and Hawaii will carry GEN's Ready-to-Cook Meats by the end of November 2025.

When did GEN Korean BBQ launch its Ready-to-Cook Meats line?

The Ready-to-Cook Meats line was launched just last month, in September 2025.

What is the focus of GEN's expansion strategy?

GEN's expansion strategy focuses on authentic Korean BBQ and rapidly scaling new products to meet consumer demand.

Where can I find GEN Korean BBQ locations?

You can find GEN Korean BBQ locations by visiting www.genkoreanbbq.com/locations.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$GENK Insider Trading Activity

$GENK insiders have traded $GENK stock on the open market 2 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 2 have been purchases and 0 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $GENK stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

MICHAEL COWAN purchased 30,000 shares for an estimated $99,000
THOMAS CROAL (Chief Financial Officer) purchased 2,000 shares for an estimated $8,000

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$GENK Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 10 institutional investors add shares of $GENK stock to their portfolio, and 13 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

WASATCH ADVISORS LP removed 674,157 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $2,629,212
SANDERS MORRIS HARRIS LLC added 202,524 shares (+75.0%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $556,941
DIAMETRIC CAPITAL, LP removed 58,257 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $227,202
QUADRATURE CAPITAL LTD added 49,044 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $191,271
JONES FINANCIAL COMPANIES LLLP removed 41,294 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $161,046
RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGIES LLC removed 26,400 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $102,960
PRELUDE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 22,792 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $88,888

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$GENK Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $GENK in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Benchmark issued a "Buy" rating on 08/08/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $GENK, check out Quiver Quantitative's $GENK forecast page.

$GENK Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $GENK recently. We have seen 2 analysts offer price targets for $GENK in the last 6 months, with a median target of $7.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Todd M. Brooks from Benchmark set a target price of $6.0 on 08/08/2025

Full Release

CERRITOS, Calif., Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN, the innovative leader in Korean BBQ dining and ready-to-cook meal consumer packaged goods (“CPG”) solutions, proudly announces another major expansion of its grocery retail footprint through a new partnership with 300 Safeway stores, in addition to the 300 Pavilions, Albertsons, and Vons stores announced earlier this week.

The company’s popular Ready-to-Cook Meats line, which launched just last month, will now be available in over 300 Safeway stores, bringing the total retail distribution to 600 grocery stores across California and Hawaii.

“We are excited that within a week, we were able to secure a total of 600 stores which will be fully in place by the end of November 2025,” said David Kim, Chairman and CEO of GEN. “This rapid expansion highlights both the incredible consumer demand for authentic Korean BBQ and the effectiveness of our growth strategy and scaling new products quickly and efficiently.”

For more information or to find a GEN Korean BBQ near you, visit:
www.genkoreanbbq.com/locations

About GEN Restaurant Group, Inc.
GEN Korean BBQ is one of the largest Asian casual dining restaurant concepts in the United States. Founded in 2011 by two Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, the brand has now grown to 57 company-owned locations where guests serve as their own chefs, preparing meals on embedded grills in the center of each table. The extensive menu consists of traditional Korean and Korean-American food, including high-quality meats, poultry, seafood and mixed vegetables. With its unique culinary experience alongside its modern décor and lively atmosphere, GEN Korean BBQ delivers an engaging and interactive dining experience that appeals to a vast segment of the population. For more information, visit GenKoreanBBQ.com and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram .

Investor Relations Contact:
Thomas V. Croal
1-562-356-9929
[email protected]