Veteran Chuck Kerr brings MOOYAH to Baton Rouge

On Veteran’s Day of 2013, Chuck Kerr and his wife Denise opened their first MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 11:00 a.m. “I went from being in the front lines serving my country to opening a MOOYAH twenty years later,” Kerr said. “Since we both came from an Army background, we felt that it was only fitting to open on 11/11 at 11:00am,” he added, noting that his wife also served in the Air Force for six years as a base commander. At 21 years old, Chuck Kerr left half way through his senior year at West Virginia University to join the Army. “I realized that I really needed some direction and discipline in my life and felt that the Army could provide me with that stability,” Kerr said. Kerr spent two years in active duty, serving time in Korea and at Fort Knox, Kentucky before leaving to finish his degree in business administration. One year later, Kerr was called to serve in the first Desert Storm. Just 10 days before his troop left Germany for the Middle East, the war was over. “I learned a lot about working in a team and looking out for the individual next to you. I felt that my work in the Army really meant something…that I could potentially save the life of a fellow soldier, through my experiences and applying what I learned. It forced me to take things more seriously and achieve the goals that I set out for myself,” Kerr said. Upon returning from active duty, he managed and owned two Subway locations in Oklahoma for nine years before selling them in December 2000. Kerr then left Oklahoma to work in corporate America for 12 years in several different operational roles. He was first introduced to MOOYAH while living in Dallas with his wife. “It all started when my wife texted me that she had just ate an awesome burger at MOOYAH. I started doing some research and after speaking to Michael Mabry (VP of Franchise Development and Operations), I felt that the franchise had awesome potential,” he added. Kerr said that MOOYAH was very appealing to him because he felt that he could really make a difference, given the size and growth potential of the brand. “After opening my first location, I told CEO and co-founder of MOOYAH Rich Hicks that this is just as much my MOOYAH as it is yours. The better the company does, the better I do and the more folks that come in and know us positively…that’s all due to the growth of the entire brand.” Kerr is planning the opening of his second MOOYAH restaurant in the next couple years.