1851

Fast Casual is one of the most popular industries in franchising, and the burger segment is a particularly crowded field. It takes more than sticky branding or even a better-than-average burger to stand out. The most successful burger franchises have an appealing concept backed by a rock-solid operations model that allows owners to reduce overhead and service a high volume of customers for both lunch and dinner.

<a href="http://mooyahfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyahs-mike-sebazco-on-franchise-operations-2707250" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">MOOYAH Burgers, Fries &amp; Shakes</a> has exactly that, and in the chain&rsquo;s decade of franchising, it&rsquo;s carved out an enviable market share of its $72 billion segment. We talked to Mike Sebazco, <a href="https://1851franchise.com/mooyah" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">MOOYAH</a>&rsquo;s vice president of operations, to learn how the brand approaches operations. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say.

What does MOOYAH&rsquo;s operations team look like?

Sebazco: Our operations support teams are divided into what we call Shark Pods. Our president named them that because if a shark stops it dies. Each pod consists of a field operations manager, who focuses on franchisee relationships and the overall needs of the business; a training specialist, who focuses on unit-level management, team-member behavior and execution; and a marketing manager, who focuses on the brand footprint in each restaurant&rsquo;s community.

Are you focused more on individual unit operations or the operations of the system at large?

Sebazco: Successful restaurant brands are built one unit at a time. Period. The brand is only as strong as its lowest-performing store. The health of the system is a combination of the performance of individual restaurants and the opportunities we take advantage of.

What are some of the key operational concerns for any franchise brand?

Sebazco: Every franchise must be executing its playbook to its fullest capability. The brands that are most effectively executing their playbooks win. In our restaurants, there are no unimportant people or positions; everyone has a role. The question we are asking every day is, &ldquo;Did our people execute their roles better today than they did yesterday.&rdquo; In that sense, there is no such thing as a static operation.

What are some operational concerns that are unique to MOOYAH?

Sebazco: Our promise to our guests is simple: we will serve you the best cheeseburger you will ever put in your mouth. We are adamant about providing the finest ingredients at a reasonable price. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve built our brand on. If we don&rsquo;t execute on that promise every single day, nothing else we do matters. It&rsquo;s all about consistent execution.

If a franchise brand is struggling, where should it look first to improve its operations?

Sebazco: Any time results aren&rsquo;t where we want them to be, we go right back to the most basic and fundamental aspects of the business: &ldquo;Do our people know the playbook?&rdquo; &ldquo;Do our people know how important they are?&rdquo; &ldquo;Are we proud of our product and service?&rdquo; If the answer to any of those questions is no, we know where to look.

What do you wish you knew about franchising or franchise operations before you got into the industry?

Sebazco: If you&rsquo;re not a good listener when you first get into franchising, you will be soon, or you&rsquo;ll find yourself somewhere else. Franchise partners are the lifeblood of the organization. Their entrepreneurial spirit combined with your system can be an incredibly powerful tool. To harness that, you&rsquo;ve got to create the right environment for the franchisee to thrive, and that requires a lot of listening.

MOOYAH’s Mike Sebazco on Franchise Operations

1851 Franchise

The burger franchise’s vice president of operations discusses the importance of a strong operations playbook

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

mooyahs-mike-sebazco-on-franchise-operations

SweatHouz

Science, Wellness, Growth: How SweatHouz CEO Mike Tan is Shaping the Future of Contrast Therapy Franchising

mike-tan-franchising-strategy-sweathouz

Biscuit Belly Franchising

Biscuit Belly Expands Across the Southeast U.S. With Six New Locations

biscuit-belly-expands-across-the-southeast-us-with-six-new-locations

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

image of mellow mushroom deep dive into financials article from 1851 franchise

Mellow Mushroom Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

mellow-mushroom-franchise-deep-dive

How goGLOW Turned Clean Beauty Into a Scalable Franchise and Why It’s Accelerating Now

goglow-clean-beauty-tanning-franchise

Shoot 360 Aims for the Topgolf Model, Using Elite Basketball Tech to Appeal to Players '7 to 70'

shoot-360-franchise-growth-tech-basketball-brad-butterworth

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

MOOYAH’s Mike Sebazco on Franchise Operations

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS