CERRITOS, Calif., June  15, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (&#34;GEN&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) (NASDAQ:GENK), operator of GEN Korean BBQ, one of the largest full-service Korean BBQ restaurant chain in the

GENK

GEN Restaurant Group Secures Retail Placement at Smart & Final Stores

GENK expands retail footprint with Smart & Final through four ready-to-cook SKUs

<section class="insight" data-version="1">
  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>CERRITOS, Calif., June  15, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (&amp;#34;GEN&amp;#34; or the &amp;#34;Company&amp;#34;) (NASDAQ:GENK), operator of GEN Korean BBQ, one of the largest full-service Korean BBQ restaurant chain in the</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>GEN Restaurant Group announced ready-to-cook marinated meats will be sold at Smart &amp; Final, broadening its distribution in the Western U.S. The deal adds four SKUs across 254 stores, aligning with GENK&#039;s retail expansion and CPG push. This could improve near-term revenue visibility and accelerate GENK&#039;s broader distribution strategy.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>GENK lands Smart &amp; Final retail placement; four ready-to-cook SKUs.</li><li>Shelf space across 254 stores; expands GENK&#039;s retail reach.</li><li>SKUs: Beef Bulgogi, Beef Short Rib, Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Chicken Bulgogi.</li><li>CEO: Partner aligns with Western U.S. distribution for growth.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. (GENK)</strong>: Announces expansion into retail via Smart &amp; Final; potential lift to CPG revenue and retail growth.</li><li><strong>Smart &amp; Final Stores LLC (PRIVATE)</strong>: Retail partner; 254-store Western U.S. footprint; distribution channel for GENK products.</li><li><strong>Chedraui USA, Inc. (PRIVATE)</strong>: Operator/owner of Smart &amp; Final; facilitates the distribution channel for GENK&#039;s products.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>Category: Corporate Developments. This is a strategic channel expansion into retail/CPG that could broaden GENK&#039;s revenue base beyond dining, potentially altering investor perception and valuation if scaled successfully.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Retail placement with Smart &amp; Final expands GENK&#039;s distribution footprint in the West.</li><li>Four SKUs to be rolled out across 254 stores; modest near-term revenue uplift.</li><li>Market focus on GENK&#039;s CPG growth and impact on restaurant mix.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Smart &amp; Final operates 254 stores across California, Nevada, and Arizona.</li><li>GENK&#039;s four SKUs: GEN BBQ Beef Bulgogi, GEN BBQ Beef Short Rib, GEN Spicy Pork Bulgogi, GEN BBQ Chicken Bulgogi.</li><li>Placement announced June 15, 2026.</li><li>GEN Restaurant Group has 50+ locations across the United States.</li><li>GEN Restaurant Group trades on NASDAQ as GENK.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Bullish near-term on expanded distribution; expect incremental revenue contribution over the next 2–4 quarters.</p>
  </section>
</section>


<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p>CERRITOS, Calif., June  15, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. ("GEN" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GENK">GENK</a>), operator of GEN Korean BBQ, one of the largest full-service Korean BBQ restaurant chain in the United States, today announced that its ready-to-cook marinated meat products have been accepted for retail placement at Smart &amp; Final Stores LLC ("Smart &amp; Final"), a leading warehouse-style grocery chain operated by Chedraui USA, Inc.</p>  <p>Smart &amp; Final operates 254 store locations across California, Nevada, and Arizona, serving both household and business customers. The retailer offers quality products in bulk and club-size formats without membership fees, building a loyal base of value-conscious shoppers and foodservice customers across the region.</p>  <p>The placement provides GEN with shelf space across Smart &amp; Final's distribution network, supporting the Company's broader retail expansion strategy and its ongoing rollout of ready-to-cook marinated meat products through additional retail channels. The launch features four SKUs: GEN BBQ Beef Bulgogi, GEN BBQ Beef Short Rib, GEN Spicy Pork Bulgogi, and GEN BBQ Chicken Bulgogi.</p>  <p>"Smart &amp; Final has a strong, long-standing presence in the warehouse grocery channel across the Western United States that aligns well with the GEN brand. We believe this placement provides a meaningful platform to extend our retail reach and supports the long-term growth of our distribution strategy," said David Kim, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GEN.</p>  <p>GEN's ready-to-cook marinated meats are prepared using the same recipes and quality standards featured across the Company's restaurant operations, offering consumers a convenient way to recreate the GEN Korean BBQ experience at home.</p>  <p>For more information or to locate a GEN Korean BBQ restaurant, visit <a href="http://www.genkoreanbbq.com" title="www.genkoreanbbq.com">www.genkoreanbbq.com</a>.</p>  <p><strong>About GEN Restaurant Group, Inc.</strong></p>  <p>GEN Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GENK">GENK</a>) owns and operates GEN Korean BBQ, a full-service Korean BBQ dining concept with 50+ locations across the United States. The Company is engaged in expanding its brand through retail, consumer packaged goods, and experiential channels.</p>  <p><strong>Forward-Looking Statements</strong></p>  <p>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, 2025, and in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website at <a href="http://www.sec.gov" title="www.sec.gov">www.sec.gov</a>, 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.</p>  <p>Investor Relations Contact:<br></br>Luke A. Hewko<br></br>1-562-356-9929<br></br>investor@genbbqoffice.com</p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTc0Njg1MCM3NjYxMjk2IzIyMzM2Mzk="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/MTk1ZGE5MmQtNTE0Yi00NGMwLTliMDAtZTg5NDA5MTYwN2RhLTEyNDUxOTItMjAyNi0wNi0xNS1lbg==/tiny/GEN-Restaurant-Group-Inc-.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><p><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59c008d3-0bfc-4bb0-a03e-5df58e951aa9"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/59c008d3-0bfc-4bb0-a03e-5df58e951aa9/small/gen-logo-01-1-png.png" border="0" width="150" height="150" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a></p>

GEN Restaurant Group announced ready-to-cook marinated meats will be sold at Smart & Final, broadening its distribution in the Western U.S. The deal adds four SKUs across 254 stores, aligning with GENK's retail expansion and CPG push. This could improve near-term revenue visibility and accelerate GENK's broader distribution strategy.

GEN Restaurant Group Secures Retail Placement at Smart & Final Stores

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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