CERRITOS, Calif., March 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN, the innovative leader in Korean BBQ and ready-to-cook meats consumer packaged goods ("CPG") solutions, is proud to announce the expansion of its CPG division –– a broader at-home portfolio that expands beyond ready-to-cook meats into a full line of Korean food products including meals, side dishes, sauces, drinks, adult beverage SOJU, and snacks, giving consumers more ways to bring the GEN experience home.

"In October 2025, we announced this new division of CPG products at over 30 locations in Southern California. Currently, we have expanded our CPG business to over 800 locations in various supermarkets around the country." said David Kim, Chairman and CEO of GEN. "This rapid expansion highlights the incredible consumer demand of the GEN brands and emphasizes the effectiveness of our brand recognition and growth strategy for scaling new products quickly and efficiently. Our internal studies show that more than 50% of consumers who purchased our Ready-to-Cook meats were already familiar with the GEN brand and have eaten at our restaurants. Additionally, all of the supermarket chain buyers have also eaten at our restaurants and know our GEN brand. Due to the exceptional early reception from both retail buyers and consumers, we are accelerating our trajectory for expansion.

By the end of 2026, GEN is projected to have our CPG products in 1,500 to 2,000 locations across the United States, with a run rate in excess of $20 million in revenue. We estimate that our CPG products will be carried in 7,000 to 8,000 locations by the end of 2027. With this expanded growth, we believe we can achieve $100 million run rate in annual revenue in as soon as three years, not the five years originally projected.

GEN's strong brand recognition is a key driver behind our retail momentum and a testament to the connection we've built with our consumers through our restaurants, gift cards at Costco, and social media. Korean food is under-penetrated but the most sought out food in the ethnic food category.

GEN will offer multiple K-Food SKU's under the GEN K-Food Eco system. With the strength of our restaurant labor force, GEN has deployed trained team members to local grocery stores to demo our products. This has been very successful in moving products to consumers.

Due to early retail reception from both buyers and consumers, GEN is accelerating its CPG expansion trajectory and expects CPG to be a meaningful growth driver with strong margins. Due to this acceleration, GEN will be working with investment bankers in the CPG space to explore and identify possible investment and logistics partners to help grow this business and increase shareholder value.

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 59 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "intend," "expect", "will," "may," and other similar words or expressions that predict or indicate future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding our strategy, future operations, and growth prospects, including expectation relating to the Company's CPG division, any statements regarding future revenue or revenue growth, any projections regarding the number of locations carrying our CPG products, any statements of belief or expectation, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing or other future events. Forward-looking statements are based on current information available at the time the statements are made and on management's reasonable belief or expectations with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from the belief or expectations expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Additional factors or events that could cause actual results to differ may also emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect future events, developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investors are referred to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, new information, or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Thomas V. Croal

1-562-356-9929

investor@genbbqoffice.com

GEN Korean BBQ Announces Expansion of CPG Program to Meet Significant Demand