MOOYAH Franchise Owners Have Felt Nothing But Support From Corporate Leadership Since the Start of the Pandemic

Since the start of the pandemic, restaurants have had to quickly pivot their services to make up for the lack of in-person dining options available to hungry Guests. For the industry at large, that’s meant adopting new online ordering platforms and welcoming the assistance of third-party delivery services as a way to reach Guests. But for “better burger” brand MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, that pivot has supported not only its Guests, but also its Franchise Owners as well, to ensure they’re able to thrive during this time of economic hardship.

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual concept based in Plano, Texas that offers Guests mouth-watering, made-to-order burgers, hand-cut french fries and real ice cream shakes. Its innovative menu has vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options that satisfy Guests no matter what their dietary restrictions may be. The brand recently ranked among Franchise Times Top 200+ Franchises of 2020.

For Susan West, who has owned her MOOYAH location in Monrovia, California for nearly two and half years, the pandemic has made her day-to-day routine much busier. According to West, sales have seen an increase of 25% since this time last year. She attributes much of that success to corporate taking the reins and navigating the details of safety and operational costs so she could continue to operate her business efficiently.

“MOOYAH procured a company that was able to help us get approved for a PPP loan, and they’ve helped us get forgiveness for that same loan. Corporate has done so much, and they’re constantly providing updates on protocols. It makes it easier for me, because I don’t have to do that work, I just have to execute it. They make suggestions for what we need to do,” said West.

West noted that she benefited from the invested support from corporate even before the pandemic. She says without MOOYAH’s leadership and understanding nature, she might not still be franchising with the brand.

“There was a point in time when our business wasn’t running quite the way we expected it to,” she said. “MOOYAH offered me exemption from franchise fees for a few months of no franchise fees to help us stay in business. I don’t know that I’d be where I am today if they hadn’t supported me in that way. I’ve been so grateful for their help.”

Emad Tawfik, who runs his store out of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, says that operating a store during the pandemic has certainly been a change of pace, but that ultimately the shift in the way he reaches his Guests has created a much stronger sense of loyalty.

“The marketing efforts from corporate have made for a harder push to online ordering and delivery. The MOOYAH app has been a great tool in building loyal Guests, now they’re here almost every day to support us and enjoy our food. And the conversations we have with them have become a part of our daily routine.”

The support in marketing efforts hasn’t been the only thing Tawfik’s been pleased with — he has also praised the support behind the business operations.

“Corporate has offered great support,” said Tawfik. “They’ve directed us on how to keep the restaurant and our Team Members safe, done a lot of promo to encourage Guests to order delivery and shared a lot of information with us on applying for PPP loans.”

Both Tawfik and West agree that they’re excited to continue their journey with the brand through the rest of the pandemic and beyond, citing their experience during the pandemic as a reason to continue to grow.

“We’re going to wait and see what happens after the pandemic, but of course we have plans to continue to grow,” said Tawfik.

“MOOYAH has chosen our store as a site for training,” said West. “It makes me feel good, and it has me excited to see what comes next. We’re a family.”

The startup costs for a MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes location range from $403,750 to $639,100 with a franchise fee of $40,000. To learn more about franchising with MOOYAH, click here.