As a pizza business veteran with more than 17 years of deep dish experience, Wyatt Hurt is a man who knows restaurants. But as of this spring he’s teamed up with better burger leader MOOYAH Burgers Fries & Shakes to help streamline franchise operations and grow the business from 35 locations into hundreds.
The new senior director of operations was formerly with fast casual giant CiCi’s Pizza. When he started there, CiCi’s had just nine restaurants, but ten years later the count was up to 365. Hurt then went to work for a franchise group within CiCi’s that grew from 17 to 66 restaurants in just seven years.
Hurt was one of the first diners to eat at the flagship MOOYAH in Plano the same week it opened five years ago. He loved what he tasted, but was occupied with his own small restaurant business and wasn’t ready to take on a new job. However, when he recently decided he was looking for a new opportunity, MOOYAH’s mouthwatering burgers came to mind.
One of Hurt’s former coworkers introduced him to MOOYAH president Alan Hixon and co-founder Rich Hicks, and he signed up to help the company experience the same level of growth he saw at CiCi’s.
“I’m so excited to be part of MOOYAH. It’s a fast paced, exciting environment and everyone on board is wearing the team hat and striving for the same goal: to make the best burgers and French fries possible so our Guests keep coming back for their burger the way they like it,” Hurt said.
As senior director of operations, Hurt’s objective is to advance the day to day operations systems for franchises and bring procedural process development to the next level so the franchisee experience is even more streamlined. Hurt is focusing on the core of MOOYAH’s operations: ensuring high quality food and customized service as the brand continues mastering the burger and making the best French fries possible.
“All of this boils down to being ready for major growth. Today MOOYAH has 35 restaurants, but I’m confident that in just a few years, there will be hundreds. This company has a great foundation with experts at the wheel and has already experienced major growth in a short time. I believe that the next few years will be explosive,” said Hurt.
This year MOOYAH opened nearly a dozen restaurants with plans to expand in new markets over the next several months. MOOYAH restaurants are under development in new states including Alabama, Oklahoma and Montana, and the brand plans to expand its footprint in Kansas, California, Connecticut, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas.
For MOOYAH franchise information, please visit http://mooyah.com/franchise-info/.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, & Shakes is an emerging leader of the “better-burger” fast casual segment.
The family friendly menu features made-to-order hamburgers using 100-percent fresh American beef; freshly baked buns, hand-cut French fries made from high quality Idaho potatoes, and handcrafted 100-percent ice cream shakes.
Ranked #1 in Fast Casual’s “2009 Top 100 Movers and Shakers,” MOOYAH, the popular Frisco, Texas based company, offers online and text message ordering, and a cookout trailer for corporate, social and fundraising events.
MOOYAH began franchising in 2007. More information is available at www.MOOYAH.com. Follow MOOYAH on Twitter @MOOYAHBurger and connect with MOOYAH on Facebook at the MOOYAH Burgers & Fries Fan page.
