MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Celebrates 2014 Successes at MOO Con 2015

Franchisees, developers, vendors and Support Center Staff from MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes gathered in Dallas to celebrate the successes of 2014, plan for the year ahead, and recognize the top performers in the better burger chain’s franchise system at MOO Con 2015. The MOOYAH team spent three days reflecting on a landmark year for the company, unveiling strategy and innovations for 2015, and strengthening relationships within the team.

MOOYAH is coming off a successful 2014 in which the brand opened 21 new restaurants. The brand continued to improve the menu with the launch of their Loaded House Salad and side salad, as well as the introduction of upgraded buns and an upgraded shake program which introduced whipped cream, cherries and a jumbo straw. The brand also furthered their mission to improve the communities they serve by raising over $30,000 for No Kid Hungry during a system-wide campaign.

During the MOO Con award ceremony, franchise partners that went above and beyond in 2014 were recognized and given awards to mark their achievement. The MOO Con award winners include:

Franchisee of the Year – Jeff Kullman, Texas

Jeff and his family opened their fourth location in Round Rock in 2014 and are on pace to open their fifth this year, with more restaurants in the pipeline in the greater Austin area. He’s committed to the areas he serves, participating in countless fundraisers, supporting schools and youth sports teams.

Operators of the Year – Chuck & Denise Kerr, Louisiana

Chuck and Denise enjoyed incredibly positive customer satisfaction score in 2014, and parlayed that community commitment to achieve the highest sales volume store in the MOOYAH system. They also signed to open a second location in Baton Rouge.

Highest Comp Year Over Year – Loren Katzman, California

Loren’s Walnut Creek location improved sales all year long, closing the year strong with an outstanding 27-percent growth for Q4 2014 over Q4 2013. She’s off to a great start in 2015 – up 26.4-percent from the same point last year.

Rookies of the Year – Khai & Kaleb Duong, Louisiana

Khai and Kaleb opened two restaurants in their first year in the MOOYAH system and have seen incredible success with their mall location in New Orleans and traditional MOOYAH in Metairie.

Hometown, Home Team Award – Bailey McGuire & Frank Sciuto, Texas

Bailey and Frank embodied the true commitment that MOOYAH has to furthering projects in local communities at both their Burleson restaurant and new Fort Worth MOOYAH which opened in September 2014. Their teams hosted over 80 fundraisers for local schools, churches, and other non-profits and also supported local youth groups, sports teams, teachers and hospital staff.

Most Memorable MOOYAH Moment – Aaron White & the Denton, TX (Rayzor Ranch) Team

The team from the Denton (Rayzor Ranch) MOOYAH was recognized by a Guest for the incredible care and amazing experience they provided to her special needs child, taking time to talk to him about the Green Bay Packers hat he was wearing and provide an overall special moment for the family.

“2014 was an incredible year for the entire brand and we owe that to the dedication and passion of all the men and women who make up our MOOYAH family,” said Michael Mabry, Chief Operating Officer for MOOYAH. “But we don’t want to dwell too much on the past. We are energized and ready to build on that momentum and further the expansion of the brand while strengthening the operations, improving Guest satisfaction, continuing to be positive force in the community, and enhance the overall experience in our existing locations.”

In 2015, MOOYAH is on pace to open 30 new locations and reach the milestone of 100 before the close of the year. The booming better burger brand is set to enter several new states in 2015, with the first MOOYAH restaurants in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida scheduled to open this year. Additionally, the brand will increase their established presence in states including California, Texas, Illinois, and Louisiana, with five more scheduled openings in New Jersey alone. The brand continues to spread the unique MOOYAH experience beyond domestic borders too. MOOYAH will open their first restaurant in Qatar in 2015, marking the 7^th country MOOYAH has entered outside the U.S.

At MOOYAH, Guests have the advantage of choosing from a variety of bun options, such as baked in-house artisan white or multigrain wheat buns and hand-crafted lettuce buns to accompany the never-frozen 100 percent American beef patty, all-natural Jennie-O turkey patty or the mouthwatering black bean veggie patty. Each gourmet burger can be customized with five cheese, applewood smoked baked, sliced avocado, along with nine free veggie toppings and 11 free sauces.

MOOYAH French fries come together in a six-step process that takes a total of 24 hours to completely prepare. A delightful combination of constant attention and a little magic help transform U.S. #1 Idaho potatoes into perfect, crisp-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside fries. Guests also have the choice of savory sweet potato fries. Never one to forget dessert, MOOYAH offers real ice cream shakes, allowing Guests to choose from 10 flavors ranging from vanilla to Hershey’s chocolate to Reese’s to strawberry banana and more.

The burger franchise shows no signs of slowing down and aims to deliver a simple American classic that’s not only made well, but produced in a friendly and comfortable environment to new and fresh markets in the future. In 2015, MOOYAH aims to continue expanding their presence across the country, with a focus on Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Cincinnati.