PLANO, TX – MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, the 90-plus-unit better burger franchise, has spent the first quarter carefully planning to excel through the remainder of 2023. With three new openings and an additional 13 slotted for the rest of the year, the burger concept is expanding in St. Louis, Lubbock, Phoenix, Southern California, Dallas-Fort Worth, Boca Raton and Boston.
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“There are some pretty obvious places that we’re trying to fill in,” explained Doug Willmarth, President and COO. “We have core markets in the sun belt from California to Florida, and we are filling in those territories while building our growing brand presence in the Midwest.”
The three most recent openings occurred in Carlsbad, California, in partnership with Green Madness Group; Gallatin, Tennessee, owned by Jake and Erin Rightmyer; and Fairfield, California, owned by Indy Pahwa, who is also President of Bay Valley Development.
The brand is working to lay a foundation to sign 15 new franchisees to join the brand by the end of the year. With a new prototype rolling out, which decreases square footage and optimizes for off-premise sales, the first drive-thru location in construction, and new Franchise Owner incentives launching in April, Willmarth says he is looking forward to strong demand for franchisees in the coming quarters.
A key offering is MOOYAH’s new reduced royalty option, which allows qualified Franchise Owners who secure a lease in 2023 to pay zero royalties for the remainder of the year and benefit from reduced royalties for three additional years.
“MOOYAH will be accelerating our unit growth significantly in the next three years, and the new incentive creates a great opportunity for new Franchise Owners to increase their returns,” Willmarth explained.
In order to better support new Franchise Owners through the brand’s aggressive expansion, MOOYAH added a new executive to the corporate team: Vice President of Ops Services.
“Gary Lisenbee has a really strong background in restaurant training, operations support, and Franchise Owner engagement. Gary is a critical addition to the leadership team,” Willmarth said. “We’ve been strengthening the executive leadership and recognizing that, with this growth initiative in place, we need our training and operational support to be as strong as it can be.”
Willmarth added that this hire signifies an evolution of the brand. For the first time ever, there is a member of the leadership team specifically dedicated to operational services who will support each restaurant in launching and running more efficiently.
As it grows on the franchise side, MOOYAH continues to become even more popular among Guests. Starting March 6, the brand partnered with Kellogg’s® for a limited time only Froot Loops® shake, which is available through May 28. It has also added a Hot Bacon Jam burger to its Burger Hall of ‘Dang!’® line-up, which is only available to guests in the know, ordering online or in-store.
“Over the last three years, we’ve outperformed the industry on both sales and traffic,” Willmarth said. “We have opened new markets and have attractive territories available, so now is the perfect time to join the brand, as we expect the incentive program to generate a lot of interest.”
For more information on the growing brand, connect with MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes on the Facebook Fan page, and follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @mooyahburgers, Instagram @mooyahburgers and TikTok @mooyahburgers.
For franchising opportunities, please visit franchise.mooyah.com.
ABOUT MOOYAH BURGERS FRIES & SHAKES
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is where “serious” and “fun” are one with the bun. The ridiculicious, fast-casual “best burger” concept is committed to providing the best tasting burger experience possible by specializing in the taste trifecta – mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, MOOYAH is obsessed with quality, serving fresh, never-frozen 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all-natural turkey burgers and plant-based vegan burgers. MOOYAH’s signature buns are baked in-house daily, and guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 17 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH also hand-spins 100% real ice cream shakes and offers eight flavors including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. MOOYAH serves guests through dine-in, online ordering, delivery and carryout, as well as its loyalty app. For more information, visit MOOYAH.com or follow MOOYAH on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
