Customizable Burger Franchisees Open Second Greater Chicago Location; Fourth in the State
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain, is opening its fourth Illinois location on November 23, 2015 at 2611 West Jefferson Street in Joliet. The location is owned and operated by father/son team, Faysal and Kal Mohamed, who opened their first location in Oak Lawn in July. The new locations are accelerating MOOYAH’s presence across the greater Chicago area, with plans to add ten new restaurants over the next two years.
“When I was first introduced to MOOYAH, I was extremely impressed by the food, atmosphere and culture of the brand,” said Kal. “I knew this would be a perfect business opportunity and addition to the Chicagoland area, and I’m excited to share our quality product and a customizable menu to new fans in Joliet.”
The Mohameds are entrepreneurs at heart and were ready to pursue the next step in their business portfolio. For 25 years, the family worked in real estate development and management – building shopping centers with successful businesses. Faysal got his start with the Great Steak & Potato restaurant and Kal began his entrepreneurial career with a chain of cell phone stores.
“The Oak Lawn community has really embraced MOOYAH, and we expect to see Joliet become quick fans of the product and concept, as well,” said Michael Mabry, chief operating officer of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes. “Our family-friendly atmosphere and fresh quality product excels in communities like Joliet, and we can’t wait to open the doors and continue expanding throughout the area.”
The Mohameds have signed-on to open ten locations throughout the Chicago suburbs. With Oak Lawn and Joliet now up and running, they’ll begin searching for real estate for their next location.
At MOOYAH, Guests have the advantage of choosing from a variety of bun options, such as baked in-house artisan white or multigrain wheat buns and hand-crafted lettuce buns to accompany the never-frozen 100 percent American beef patty, all-natural Jennie-O turkey patty or the mouthwatering black bean veggie patty. Each gourmet burger can be customized with five cheese options, applewood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, along with nine free veggie toppings and 11 free sauces.
MOOYAH French fries come together in a six-step process that takes a total of 24 hours to completely prepare. A delightful combination of constant attention and a little magic help transform U.S. #1 Idaho potatoes into perfect, crisp-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside fries. Guests also have the choice of savory sweet potato fries. Never one to forget dessert, MOOYAH offers real ice cream shakes, allowing Guests to choose from 10 flavors ranging from vanilla to Hershey’s chocolate to Reese’s to strawberry banana and more.
In 2015, MOOYAH is on pace to open 30 new locations and reach the milestone of 100 before the close of the year. The booming better burger brand is set to enter several new states in 2015, with the first MOOYAH restaurants in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Additionally, the brand will increase their established presence in states including California, Texas, Illinois, and Louisiana. The brand continues to spread the unique MOOYAH experience beyond domestic borders too. MOOYAH will open their first restaurant in Qatar in 2015, marking the 7th country MOOYAH has entered outside the U.S.
For more information on the growing brand, connect with MOOYAH on Facebook at the MOOYAH Burgers & Fries Fan page or follow MOOYAH on Twitter @MOOYAHBurger.
For franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.mooyahfranchise.com.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept offering mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, French fries hand cut from Idaho potatoes, and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company serves fresh, lean American beef, all-natural Jennie-O® turkey burgers, black bean veggie burgers, buns baked in house daily, real cheeses and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. While many Guests dine in-restaurant, MOOYAH also offers online ordering and carry out for Guests on the go. In 2014, MOOYAH was named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of the top 500 franchise brands and ranked No. 12 in Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, a list they have been at the top of for several years in a row. The brand also landed on the list of the Top 10 FastCasual Growth Chains by Technomic, Inc. In 2013, the brand was ranked 1st overall in Restaurant Business’s Future 50 list. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with the brand on www.facebook.com/MOOYAH and follow on Twitter @MOOYAHBurger.
