1851

<a href="http://www.mooyah.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth-2709890" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">MOOYAH</a> Burgers, Fries &amp; Shakes, the &ldquo;better burger&rdquo; fast-casual franchise, has spent the first quarter of 2019 laying the foundation for a strong year by hiring key executives that will enhance franchisee support and prepare for rapid franchise development throughout the remainder of the year and beyond. The company is proud to announce the addition of new President &amp; COO Tony Darden, who comes to MOOYAH after serving as COO at Taco Bueno. Prior to Taco Bueno, Darden spent more than a decade at Panera Bread and more than 15 years at Bennigan&rsquo;s. MOOYAH also added a new Director of Supply Chain, a Real Estate &amp; Development Manager and a Construction Project Manager in the first quarter of 2019 to prepare for a growth-oriented next chapter. The MOOYAH executive leadership team now boasts more than 200 combined years of restaurant and franchise industry experience.

&ldquo;Tony and our enhanced leadership team bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion that fits the culture of MOOYAH and the direction for the company moving forward,&rdquo; said Anand Gala, CEO and Chairman of MOOYAH. &ldquo;With these strategic additions, combined with our dedicated existing team members, we now have an unparalleled depth of restaurant and franchise industry experience informing the future of the brand. We are ready to leverage that in the interest of providing increased support to our operators and in expanding the MOOYAH brand into new markets and territories with both new and existing franchisees.&rdquo; 

After an affiliate of&nbsp;Balmoral Funds LLC&nbsp;and Gala Capital Partners, LLC acquired the MOOYAH brand in 2017, Gala took over the reins at MOOYAH and focused on the areas of streamlined operations, unparalleled franchisee support and strategic franchise development initiatives. This strengthened executive leadership team, led by Darden, is the next step in Gala&rsquo;s strategy for the 12-year-old brand.

&ldquo;When you look at MOOYAH, the food quality is there. It&rsquo;s top-notch in the industry. The aesthetics of the restaurant are great and the culture of the brand is simply amazing, and you experience that in each and every restaurant within the system,&rdquo; said Darden. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been a fan of the brand for a while and my family has been going to one near our home regularly for years. You can just feel there&rsquo;s something special about the culture at MOOYAH and I&rsquo;m excited to now be a part of it.&rdquo;

John Hunter came onboard at MOOYAH in February 2019 as the Director of Supply Chain, most recently working as Director of Supply Chain for Zo&euml;s Kitchen where he supported more than 250 locations nationally. He also held positions in Supply Chain for Nebraska Furniture Mart and TGI Fridays. His expertise has already proven valuable for MOOYAH in terms of procurement, logistics and distribution. 

Real Estate &amp; Development Manager Scott Haehnel joined the MOOYAH team in March 2019, bringing with him an extensive background in the service industry including VP of Development at Eskimo Hut, Area Representative at Firehouse Subs and VP of Operations for Papa John&rsquo;s in Northern California. He opened more than 100 locations with Papa John&rsquo;s and Firehouse Subs in Texas.

Finally, Coleman Williams joined MOOYAH as Construction Project Manager also in March 2019 with previous positions in IT, marketing, and most recently, Supply Chain at Zo&euml;s Kitchen. His experience with budget analysis, cost-savings opportunities and project management have empowered MOOYAH to determine a benchmark landed cost for current and future franchisees.

&ldquo;Once our entire team is aligned on how we&rsquo;re executing on a daily basis, there isn&rsquo;t any other brand that can match us,&rdquo; said Darden. &ldquo;We are already optimally positioned for success because MOOYAH is an established brand with a strong existing system and passionate franchisees. Further sharpening the in-restaurant experience and exploring exciting areas such as tech and operational strategy will ultimately bring the unique MOOYAH experience to additional markets and communities.&rdquo;

Darden has already started work keying in on alignment and implementing best practices across all MOOYAH locations in the interest of an exceptional experience for both consumer and franchisee alike.

&ldquo;Tony is a great fit for the culture at MOOYAH and his experience growing heavy-hitting brands like Panera will be instrumental in driving MOOYAH forward in its next phase of growth,&rdquo; said Gala. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had expansion on the menu for the last two years and now MOOYAH has the depth of industry experience to really drive the brand into new markets and to innovate in the interest of our exceptional franchise owners.&rdquo; 

For more information on the growing brand, connect with MOOYAH Burgers, Fries &amp; Shakes on the Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Mooyah?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth-2709890" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Fan page</a>, and follow <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mooyah-burgers-fries-and-shakes?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth-2709890" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">MOOYAH</a> on LinkedIn, Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/mooyahburgers?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth-2709890" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">@MOOYAHburgers</a> and Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mooyahburgers/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth-2709890" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">@MOOYAHburgers</a>.

For franchising opportunities, please visit mooyah.franchise.com.

<div>&nbsp;</div>

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Taps Industry Veterans For Next Chapter in Growth

1851 Franchise

Dallas-based ‘Better Burger’ Brand Hires New President & COO, Prepares for Improved Operations and Expansion

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

mooyah-burgers-fries-shakes-taps-industry-veterans-for-next-chapter-in-growth

New U Women's Clinic & Aesthetics

image of New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics employees and franchise

How New U Is Redefining Women’s Health, Offering a Scalable Franchise Opportunity as the Next Big Category Creator in the $21 Billion Med Spa Industry

womens-health-wellness-franchise-new-u

image of New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics Founder and CEO Dr. Rachel Fidino

The Void in Women’s Health, Solved By a Two Time Cancer Survivor: How New U Built Care that Didn’t Exist and is Eying National Franchise Expansion

new-u-womens-clinic-consumer-positioning

SweatHouz

SweatHouz Expansion - Tribeca Opening and 12 NYC Franchise Units - 1851 Franchise

SweatHouz Franchise Expands Into New York City With 12-Unit Development Agreement Across Manhattan and Brooklyn

sweathouz-new-york-tribeca-expansion

DoodyCalls

How This Family Built a Fast-Growing DoodyCalls Business in Greensboro, North Carolina

families-in-franchising-robert-thomas-doodycalls-greensboro

Sparkle Squad Window Cleaning Services

Sparkle Squad Franchise - Ryan Fraser - Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

Commercial Real Estate Veteran Leverages Commercial Work To Grow Sparkle Squad Franchise

sparkle-squad-franchise-new-jersey-ryan-fraser

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

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

Hardee's Franchise - ARC Burger Lawsuit - 1851 Franchise

Hardee’s Lawsuit Targets Franchisee as 77 Restaurants Prepare to Shut Down

hardees-franchise-closures-arc-burger-lawsuit

Domino's Franchise - North Pole - Dec 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Domino’s Pizza Brings Delivery Cheer to North Pole, Alaska

dominos-pizza-franchise-north-pole-alaska

California Pizza Kitchen’s Sale Is the Latest in the Era of PE-Backed Turnarounds in Franchising

california-pizza-kitchens-sale-is-the-latest-in-the-era-of-pe-backed-turnarounds-in-franchising

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

Scenthound Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

scenthound-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Ellianos Coffee Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

ellianos-coffee-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Christmas Decor Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

christmas-decor-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Sparkle Dog Care Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

sparkle-dog-care-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Do You Qualify? A Look at the Chick-fil-A Franchise Requirements

do-you-qualify-a-look-at-the-chick-fil-a-franchise-requirements

The Top 15 Pet Supplies and Retail Franchises for 2025

the-top-15-pet-supplies-and-retail-franchises

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Taps Industry Veterans For Next Chapter in Growth

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS