Everybody’s got a burger these days, but not everybody knows how to make a damn good one.
Michael Mabry, COO at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, says the brand is winning the burger wars with its better burger — “What I like to call a better-for-you burger. We have a health halo above the brand.”
MOOYAH, headquartered in Dallas, features homemade, non-GMO bread, and its meat is “the best you can buy. It’s never frozen; it’s all-American beef. There are no additives or preservatives,” Mabry says, ticking off the many ways MOOYAH does it better. “We hand-cut our fries in-house. Then we deliver on all that with our peerless customer service.”
Today’s savvy customer has come to expect such quality.
“Today’s consumers are being educated on a daily basis,” he says. “They do their research and are well-informed about what they should be putting in their bodies.”
MOOYAH’s restaurants also are family-centric. “We are a come-as-you-are place,” Mabry says. “At lunch, we get strollers; at dinner, we have soccer teams.” MOOYAH supports families further with a fundraising program that gives up to 25 percent of sales to schools, teams, churches and organizations that host fundraisers at MOOYAH restaurants.
“We love to be the hometown, home-team brand,” Mabry says.
Eight years ago, there were just a few places doing better burgers; now, there are lots of brands calling themselves “better.” MOOYAH can stay one step ahead by doing what it does best, he says.
“As the segment continues to grow, we have to keep our eyes on what the competitors are doing, while staying true to who we are,” he says.
“Burgers are the most popular food item out there. … We need to stay special. We need to stay upgraded. Guest service is also a major part of that. By knitting ourselves into the fabric of our communities, we develop long-term relationships with guests.”
The booming MOOYAH brand expects to have 100 locations this year, globally. A handful will open in the Northeast in September and expansion continues in California with the recent opening of the eatery in Los Gatos and several more are planned there, he says.