U.S. Major League Baseball stadiums and the food service operator Levy Restaurant dismissed as totally untrue claims by Korean firm Genesis BBQ that it had agreed to sell fried chicken with them, according to multiple sources.

Fried chicken chain BBQ announced in a press conference in Seoul on Monday that it would enter the U.S. market with new openings at 92 sports stadiums, including the popular Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.

The company added that it had inked a deal with Levy, which provides vending machines and food services to major entertainment and sports venues in the U.S., to supply its popular fried chicken.

“There is no such deal between Genesis BBQ and Levy Restaurants or the venues it represents. Furthermore there is no memorandum of understanding between the two companies,” Alison Weber, a Levy official, told The Korea Herald via email.

Martin E. Kim, account director of LA Dodgers, also flatly denied the deal, saying: “We have no plans or conversations with the group at the current time.”

Asked about the validity of the deal, Genesis BBQ belatedly admitted that its recent announcement had been overstated as part of its marketing strategy to promote its brand.

“We chose an aggressive marketing strategy to rev up our sluggish overseas sales,” said a company spokesperson, asking not to be named.

Genesis BBQ operates some 500 stores in 30 countries, but many of them are said to be losing money due to the company’s low brand awareness.

By Park Han-na  (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)