S.Korea’s Gopizza to open branch at Singapore Changi airport

South Korean food tech startup Gopizza, known for its single-serving pizza prepared by robots, on Tuesday said it will open a branch on Nov. 1 at Singapore’s Changi International Airport.

The franchise is the first South Korean food brand to open a store at the airport, which was rated the world’s best in March by Skytrax, a consulting company that ranks and evaluates airports.

Recently renovating its facilities, Changi is packed with leading global food brands in line with its title of the world's top air hub. Gopizza’s branch will be in the departure section along with those of international giants like Starbucks and McDonald's.

To be located next to a duty-free shop, Gopizza met the stringent quality, safety and hygiene standards of Changi Airport Corp. under an incredibly high competition ratio of 200:1. Opened in March 2020, the chain’s first branch in Singapore ranks third in market share among pizza franchises in the city-state, and this was a major factor behind the Changi outlet’s launch.

With its newest location, Gopizza plans to expand to about 50 branches in Singapore by next year and gain the No. 2 spot in market share there.

The Changi branch will display all of the company’s advanced food technologies. High-tech devices developed by Gopizza Food Tech Institute include a goven, or a patented oven that miniaturizes and automates the fire pit; an artificial intelligence-based smart topping table that analyzes and records the accuracy of toppings in real time; automatic baking and cutting of a pizza right after an employee places the toppings; and Gobot Station, which integrates technologies for cutting using robotics.

“We will work even harder to make Go Pizza available at all airports worldwide,” Go Pizza CEO Lim Jae-won said.

First expanding abroad in 2019 by opening in India, Gopizza now runs around 200 stores in five countries including South Korea and Singapore.

Write to See-Eun Lee at see@hankyung.com