South Korean bakery giant SPC Group announced Sunday that the number of its overseas Paris Baguette stores has reached 500, with the latest opening in Singapore.

The 500th store opened at Terminal 2 of Changi International Airport as part of the bakery chain’s expansion into Asia and the Middle East.

“The group will continue its expansion in the US and China, while making a foray into the global halal food market, which has 1.9 billion potential customers representing some 24 percent of the global population,” said an SPC official, hinting at an additional 50 new openings next year.

For halal-certified production, SPC completed a manufacturing facility in Malaysia in June this year with a total investment of 40 billion won ($30 million).

SPC added it will look into new opportunities in Europe after reviewing its business performance in the UK market.

“SPC Group was able to launch its 500th store mainly due to its continuous efforts and investment in the global market,” SPC Group President Hur Jin-soo said. Hur added that the group will continue to expand its presence in the global market by adding new manufacturing facilities and opening more Paris Baguette stores.

Starting with the first store in China in 2004, SPC has been launching Paris Baguette stores aggressively overseas. Currently, the bakery chain operates in 10 countries, including the US, France, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia.