1851 Profile with Jeff Kullman, MOOYAH Franchisee in Texas

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept serving mouth-watering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries made from high-quality Idaho potatoes, and handcrafted 100-percent ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Frisco, Texas-based company only uses fresh, American lean beef and all-natural Jennie-O® turkey burgers, buns baked in house, real cheeses and toppings made from garden-fresh ingredients. 1851 Magazine would like to introduce you to the 2012 Franchisee of the Year with MOOYAH and a big player for the brand, Jeff Kullman. [caption id="attachment_6217" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Jeff Kullman's MOOYAH locaiton"][/caption]

Originally from the Texas Gulf Coast in the town of Aransas Pass, Kullman attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a degree in business. He began his career in institutional food sales for Land O’ Lakes and worked in that position for three years before being promoted from Austin to Dallas and has lived in the Plano community ever since. Back in the ‘80s he moved from the food industry to the real estate industry and took a job in on-site sales for new homes. He ultimately became the division president for Kimball Hill and ended up spending 27 years in real estate. In 2009, after the economic downturn, he decided he wanted to do a food venture with his two sons Jason and Josh. The brothers both have extensive restaurant experience and decided to open their first MOOYAH in 2010. Kullman became Franchisee of the Year In 2012.

How did you learn about the brand? I have a lot of real estate experience in the area and had heard about MOOYAH because I saw the billboard while traveling for work in early 2008. My oldest son, Jason, saw an article on MOOYAH in Nation’s Restaurant News and brought it to my attention. It was the ideal time because we were all looking for an opportunity and started to focus our research on MOOYAH. Why did you choose an opportunity with MOOYAH? From a business perspective, I liked the idea of a fast-casual burger concept and noticed it was very similar to what I had worked on in homebuilding. Looking at everything they had to offer, it was a simple model that held a lot of value. We felt the efficiency of the operation couldn’t be beat in the industry. We were also very impressed by their exceptional customer service and frankly, the product is delicious. What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with MOOYAH? I wanted to be involved with the concept because I see the potential to open a number of locations. We really hope to expand and grow as the opportunity presents itself. I see us opening about six stores in the next three to five years in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and about the same in the Austin area. Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions? I enjoy golf with my sons and just spending time with my family – primarily my wife, Kathy, and our three granddaughters who we love very much.