MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Is on Track To Open 100 Locations Across Ohio

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, the 88-unit “better burger” franchise, is ready to satisfy the taste buds of burger enthusiasts across Ohio as it looks to expand in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Canton and Columbus markets. The Plano-based franchise concept currently has one location in Cleveland and is ready to take its unique made-to-order burger concept state-wide, aiming to open 100 new locations across Ohio, including 10 by the end of 2023.

Why Ohio Is a Prime MOOYAH Market

Geographically, Ohio has a lot to offer future MOOYAH Franchise Owners. As a middle ground between the East and West Coasts, Ohio is at the crossroads of major hubs such as Lexington, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton are rapidly growing as well, drawing in new business and a new population. In fact, Columbus was recently recognized as the fastest growing city in the Midwest.

“Ohio is a terrific place to expand because there are so many possible viable markets,” said Mike Sebazco, Vice President of Operations at MOOYAH. “Our Franchise Owner in Cleveland, on pace to open a second location, has shown us the potential in the area. With many similar markets, there’s a tremendous center of gravity and opportunity for our brand there.”

Economically, Ohio has a diverse economy that helps support businesses across a variety of industries. “The most attractive thing about Ohio is the diversity in the economy,” said Sebazco. “It’s never been just agriculture-based or information-based or services-based. It has all of those things, so if one sector takes a hit, Ohio still chugs on.”

How MOOYAH Finds Real Estate in Ohio

When it comes to choosing a MOOYAH restaurant location, the brand has their development team help new Franchise Owners work with local real estate brokers, find the perfect site and negotiate a lease. With so much new development across the state and growing metro areas, new Franchise Owners have plenty of options and a partner to help them through the process.

“Ohio is just a fair place to do business,” said Scott Mellon with MOOYAH Development. “Properties are fairly valued, and the broker networks we have traditionally dealt with understand what the values should be for particular trade areas. Plus, there’s always so much new development, which creates plenty of opportunity for prime locations.”

What the Future Holds for MOOYAH in Ohio

MOOYAH is currently planning to open 16 units total in 2021 and aims to have 10 new locations in Ohio by the end of 2023. The brand says, however, this expansion is just the beginning. 

“When the state is fully built out, we will have 100 MOOYAH locations in Ohio,” said Mellon. “That means 2,500 – 3,000 jobs across all restaurants.” 

And the brand is well on its way to achieving that goal. Aside from the existing Franchise Owner in Cleveland who is growing to his second location, MOOYAH already has potential candidates in the pipeline for Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. 

MOOYAH has proven to be recession-resistant, growing 10% overall in 2020. Now that the pandemic is nearing its end, the demand for fast casual food is staying high and people are eating out more often, the brand is poised for explosive growth in the Ohio region and nationwide.

Why Ohio Investors Should Put Their MOOLAH into MOOYAH

MOOYAH’s corporate team is focused on one thing and one thing only — their franchise owners’ success. With an average unit sales volume of $1,249,761* among its top 25% of Franchise Owners and a competitive investment level for a fast casual franchise, MOOYAH is attracting the eyes of savvy entrepreneurs nationwide.

The MOOYAH brand recently unveiled an all-new look for its restaurants with a more sleek and sophisticated layout. This, combined with the launch of its new drive-thru format, gives MOOYAH Franchise Owners more avenues to profitability and more options for Guests to enjoy.

With an elite leadership team stacked with more than 150 years of combined experience, MOOYAH’s corporate offers its Franchise Owners support every step of the way, from initial training and construction to marketing and ongoing operations. 

At MOOYAH, Guests have the option to choose from a variety of bun options — including baked-in-house artisan potato, multigrain wheat, non-GMO buns and hand-crafted lettuce buns — to accompany the never-frozen, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers and all natural Jennie-O turkey. Each gourmet burger can be customized with six different cheeses, Applewood smoked bacon and sliced avocado, along with 9 free veggie toppings and 10 free sauces.

“We came through the pandemic strong and want to carry that momentum into Ohio throughout the rest of 2021,” said Sebazco. “There is so much potential in the Midwest. We can’t wait to spread the MOOYAH brand and bring ‘better burgers’ to our Ohio Guests.”

For more information on the growing brand, be sure to connect with MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes on the Facebook Fan page, and follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers. 

For franchising opportunities, please visit franchise.mooyah.com.

ABOUT MOOYAH BURGERS FRIES & SHAKES 

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept offering mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, French fries hand cut from Idaho potatoes, and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company serves fresh, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all natural Jennie-O® turkey burgers and Dr. Praeger’s black bean vegan burgers. MOOYAH's non-GMO potato and multigrain buns are baked in-house daily, and Guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 19 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH Guests can choose from seven flavors of 100% real ice cream shakes, including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. While many Guests dine in-restaurant, MOOYAH also offers online ordering, delivery and carry out for Guests on the go as well as a loyalty app. In 2021, MOOYAH ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list, #41 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers, and its Leadership Team was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as 2021's Most Inspiring Leaders. In 2020, MOOYAH ranked #38 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers. In 2018, MOOYAH was ranked among Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Food and Restaurant Franchises of 2018 and landed at #7 in the Top 10 Fast Casual Restaurant Franchises by FranchiseRankings.com. In 2017, MOOYAH was named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious list of the smartest growing franchise brands, and was ranked #11 on Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, a list the brand has been included on every year in the last ten years of rankings. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with MOOYAH on Facebook.com/MOOYAH, follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers.

*This data is reported in the 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document. For more information, please refer to the final FDD.