MOOYAH’s Mike Sebazco on Franchise Operations

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.

MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* has exactly that, and in the chain’s decade of franchising, it’s carved out an enviable market share of its $72 billion segment. We talked to Mike Sebazco, MOOYAH’s vice president of operations, to learn how the brand approaches operations. Here’s what he had to say.

What does MOOYAH’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’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, “Did our people execute their roles better today than they did yesterday.” 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’s what we’ve built our brand on. If we don’t execute on that promise every single day, nothing else we do matters. It’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’t where we want them to be, we go right back to the most basic and fundamental aspects of the business: “Do our people know the playbook?” “Do our people know how important they are?” “Are we proud of our product and service?” 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’re not a good listener when you first get into franchising, you will be soon, or you’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’ve got to create the right environment for the franchisee to thrive, and that requires a lot of listening.