Growing fast-casual burger concept awards highest performers in 2017 at conference, discusses continued success in 2018

Better-burger franchise brand MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes held its annual conference, MOO Con, in April where franchisees in the system were recognized for their outstanding performance in several categories ranging Franchisee of the Year to Most Memorable MOOYAH Moment of 2017.

“Our company’s success is driven by the success of our franchisees and their teams, so it’s important to recognize the incredible men and women who work hard each and every day to make MOOYAH a household name” said Michael Mabry, President and COO of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes. “MOO Con gives us an opportunity to celebrate the successes of the prior year and engage face-to-face with our entire franchise community about our plans for continued improvement in the current year and beyond.”

The brand named franchisees Khai and Kaleb Duong the 2017 Franchisees of the Year for the incredible success they’ve seen at their two locations in Southeastern Louisiana. The corporate team is consistently impressed by the Duongs ability to provide an exceptional experience for each and every Guest and their willingness to participate and provide constructive feedback in brand strategy discussions. The brothers are extremely involved and hands-on at their stores with a keen focus on providing high-quality food and top-notch service to their customers.

“Staying on top of everything, from our staff, management, product and Guest service, is what we attribute our ongoing success to,” said Kaleb Duong. “It starts with store cleanliness, then a focus on executing great service and ends with food quality and fast ticket times. Guests want to walk into a clean restaurant, experience exceptional service and be served quickly and efficiently. Our managers and team members do a great job implementing these key elements.”

The Duongs are looking to add three more locations in Louisiana in the near future to replicate the level of service that has allowed them to build a loyal customer base at their existing locations in New Orleans and Metairie.

MOOYAH franchisee Keith Kaminskas was also recognized for his accomplishments as Single Unit Operator of the Year for his store in Old Tappan, New Jersey. Keith is a multi-brand franchisee and accomplished business owner, but the corporate team appreciates his undying dedication to the MOOYAH brand. He’s fostered an enthusiastic team culture within his restaurant and has taken it upon himself to be a mentor to other franchisees in the system to share advice on how he has found success with the company and in the franchising industry.

“It's easy to find success when I have great food, a supportive corporate team and an incredible staff to keep our Guests happy and full from our delicious burgers, fries and shakes,” said Kaminskas. “I’m very passionate about the brand and the menu items we serve.”

Along with praising franchisees for the successes they’ve achieved for the better-burger brand, MOOYAH also acknowledged the positive impact its owners have made in their local communities.

The Bergeson family, a multi-unit ownership team made up of brothers Josh and Lucas and their father Randy, who own locations in Madison and Fitchburg, Wisconsin, were granted the Home Town Home Team award for their efforts in giving back to their local community and facilitating strong partnerships with nonprofits in the area.

The family’s MOOYAH stores work closely with several local elementary schools, churches and sports organizations and held a record-breaking 214 fundraisers and charity events in 2017 alone. The Bergesons plan to continue building on the relationships they've created with local community members to inspire others to give back. Their investment in the community has paid off in dividends. The family of franchisees also took home the award for the highest year-over-year comparative sales increase for 2017.

“We’re able to do great things for charitable organizations in our community due to the relationships our wonderful staff has built with local guests and representatives at nonprofits to maximize on fundraising efforts and bulk up donations,” said Josh Bergeson. “Our stores love being heavily involved in the happenings around our local community and we take pride in the strong leadership facilitated at our MOOYAH restaurants that allows us to give back to those in need in our area in an impactful way.”

Here is a full listing of all the award winners from MOO Con 2018:

• Franchisee of the Year – Khai and Kaleb Duong (Metairie & New Orleans, LA)
• Multi-Unit Operator of the Year – Bailey McGuire and Frank Sciuto (Mansfield & Burleson, TX)
• Single-Unit Operator of the Year – Keith Kaminskas (Old Tappan, NJ)
• Rookie of the Year – Barry Lattuca (Boston, MA)
• Home Town Home Team – The Bergeson Family (Fitchburg & Madison, WI)
• General Manager of the Year – Daniel Goines (Mansfield, TX)
• Most Memorable MOOYAH Moment – Glendora, CA team (Ara Avagyan Franchisee)
• Highest Year over Year Comp – The Bergeson Family (Madison, WI)
• Team Member of the Year – Sha’Quita Jones

Beyond the award winners, MOOYAH had plenty to celebrate at MOO Con 2018 as the company opened 17 new locations across the globe in 2017. However, most of the conference was focused on corporate team members working directly with franchisees to find solutions to obstacles in their markets and tackling ways to improve success in the years ahead.

“We’re a team and a family. It’s part family reunion when we gather for MOO Con, but we are all keenly aware of the issues impacting not just MOOYAH but the restaurant industry as a whole. There was a ton of constructive and productive conversation over the three-day conference and now it’s time for all of us to go implement those ideas so that we’re celebrating even more at MOO Con next year,” said Mabry.