Deal Adds Capital, Experience and Resources to Fuel Dallas-based Better Burger Franchise Company’s Growth
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain is now primed for extensive growth with the announcement of an acquisition of the MOOYAH brand by Balmoral Funds LLC (“Balmoral”), a leading lower-middle-market private equity firm, in partnership with Gala Capital Partners, LLC (“Gala Capital”), a private investment company with a focus on hospitality and food service franchises in the United States.
The announcement comes as MOOYAH celebrates its tenth anniversary and the company is focused on continued growth in the next ten years. In 2016, MOOYAH surpassed the all-important 100-unit milestone. The booming “better burger” brand entered several new states in 2016, while also expanding its presence in California, Texas, Florida and New York.
Under the terms of the acquisition, MOOYAH will no longer be part of Reach Restaurant Group. MOOYAH’S executive leadership team will remain in their roles and Michael Mabry, President and Chief Operating Officer of MOOYAH, will lead the transition of ownership to Balmoral and Gala Capital from the company’s co-founders, Rich Hicks and Todd Istre.
“The past decade has been incredibly fulfilling, having grown MOOYAH from that first location to opening our 100th unit last summer. I am excited to see what the next decade has in store for MOOYAH,” said Hicks. “The team from Balmoral and Gala Capital are committed to excellence and see the true potential in a brand that has grown steadily for the last ten years. The company is gaining a partner who shares a vision of intelligent growth behind a solid franchisee foundation.”
MOOYAH’s new ownership groups bring more than three decades of restaurant industry experience as well as an extensive understanding of the franchise model to the emerging brand. Gala has owned, developed and operated multiple franchise locations of brands such as Applebee’s, Jack in The Box, Seattle’s Best Coffee and Del Taco. Through an affiliate, he currently owns and operates the largest Famous Dave’s BBQ franchisee, and currently serves on the brand’s Board of Directors.
“We had been looking to invest in a fast casual brand that had high consumer appeal and the potential for faster growth. MOOYAH had both, as well as a franchisee-first culture embraced by its executive leadership team. I believe MOOYAH is ready to become a household name.”
“I’ve known Anand for the past four years. We had regularly discussed the endless possibilities for the MOOYAH brand, if provided the right funding and expertise. He and his team, along with Balmoral, bring this, and more, to the table,” said Mabry. “We are entering a new, higher stage of growth with this partnership. The passion and emotion of our MOOYAH corporate team is unmatched in the industry, and they now have the opportunity to grow the brand, and themselves, to their fullest potential. That’s the type of company that I wanted to be a part of and build, and now we have the chance to take it to the next level.”
Members of the Balmoral and Gala Capital teams will join the Board of Directors and participate as needed but the majority of the MOOYAH management team is staying with the brand in their capacities and will be focused on its growth and success as part of the vision to continue the brand’s successful trajectory and momentum.
“As a franchisee for various brands over the years, I know the importance of having a strong franchisor support structure in place, that is focused on engagement and collaboration with the franchisees. I have a strong belief that franchisees are the backbone of a brand’s success,” said Gala. “It is our job to lead our existing franchisees to even greater success and to be selective of the prospective franchisees who want to join the MOOYAH team. We are ready for increased growth but with those who share the same vision and commitment to greatness the brand has built over the last decade.”
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. The MOOYAH brand was founded in 2007. The Plano, Texas-based company serves fresh, lean Certified Angus 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. MOOYAH also offers the MOOYAH Rewards App—a loyalty program built with an enhanced Guest experience in mind – which offers online ordering as well for Guests on the go. In 2016, MOOYAH was ranked No. 38 in Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, a list they have been included in for several years in a row. The brand also ranked 2nd in Best Fast Casual Restaurant Franchise Company, 4th in Best Restaurant Franchise Company, and 7th in Best Overall Franchises Company by Franchiserankings.com. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit www.MOOYAH.com. Connect with the brand on Facebook.com/MOOYAH and follow on Twitter @MOOYAHburgers. To download the MOOYAH Rewards app, please visit MOOYAH.com/rewards.
For franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.mooyahfranchise.com.
Balmoral Funds is a Los Angeles, CA based private equity fund that was founded in 2005. Balmoral currently has more than $200 million of assets under management and focuses on partnering with talented and committed management teams to invest in and revitalize companies. Balmoral typically invests in companies that have revenues between $30 to $300 million and require equity investments of $5 to $30 million.
Gala Capital Partners, LLC (GCP) is a private investment company started by Mr. Anand Gala. It is focused on long term investments in franchise brands ranging from 20-200 units and more than $20MM in system wide sales. Mr. Gala has spent the past 35 years in various aspects of the franchise business, having been involved as an operator, developer, franchisee, investor and member of the Board of Directors of various franchised brands in the restaurant industry. Gala Capital Partners is headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA and has a demonstrated track record of structuring creative investment solutions with lower middle-market franchisors, with a special focus on helping founders, and their management teams, grow their brands beyond their initial stages. For more information, please visit their website at www.galacapitalpartners.com or contact Mr. Gilles Kersten at gkersten@galacapitalpartners.com.
