Customizable Burger Franchise Caters to New Community with Opening in Gonzales
After receiving rave reviews from its first locations in Louisiana, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast casual, “better burger” chain, is expanding in greater Baton Rouge with a new restaurant set to open on December 14, 2015 at 2706 S. Cabela’s Parkway in Gonzales.
MOOYAH continues to expand in the Bayou State with the help of experienced franchisees Chad Calongne and Ryan Brach. These Louisiana natives make the perfect team to develop MOOYAH due to Chad’s commercial real estate experience and Ryan’s franchising industry background. The duo currently own five area Rotolo’s Pizza locations.
“We were looking for the right opportunity to expand our portfolio, and once we tried MOOYAH in Baton Rouge, we knew that this would be a great fit for Ascension Parish,” said Calongne. “The fun atmosphere, great service and, of course, the stellar food, sealed the deal for us. We’re ready to bring this brand to Gonzales and to continue the expansion with a second restaurant in the area within the next two years.”
Business is about more than the bottom line to these two restaurant owners. Chad and Ryan look forward to continuing to add jobs to the community and supporting local organizations. In fact, they estimate that over the last five years, they’ve donated almost $60,000 back to the communities where they operate restaurants. The team is looking forward to continuing to do this through their MOOYAH restaurants.
“MOOYAH’s high quality product is a great fit for Ascension Parish, but more importantly, the family-friendly culture and focus on community outreach closely mirror our values in giving back in the area,” said Brach. “As restaurateurs, we understand the value we bring to a town – the jobs, supporting local organizations, providing a nice atmosphere and top-notch food for families. We are truly looking forward to ingraining MOOYAH into the local culture.”
MOOYAH currently has four locations in Louisiana, including one of the entire system’s top performing locations in Baton Rouge. The brand has garnered a cult following in the area, and the company expects to see the fanatical response to MOOYAH sweep across the state as new locations continue to open in the coming years.
“With the responsive community and their experience in the QSR industry, Chad and Ryan are the perfect franchisees to continue to expand the MOOYAH footprint in Louisiana,” said MOOYAH chief operating officer Michael Mabry. “They bring invaluable community connections and experience that will only continue the success of MOOYAH in greater Baton Rouge.”
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 handcrafted lettuce buns to accompany a never-frozen 100 percent American beef patty, all-natural Jennie-O turkey patty or mouthwatering black bean veggie patty. Each gourmet burger can be customized with five cheese options, applewood smoked bacon and 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.
The booming better burger brand has entered several new states in 2015, with the brand making its debut in Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida. Additionally, the brand will increase its established presence in states including California, Texas, Illinois, and Louisiana, and New Jersey. The brand continues to spread the unique MOOYAH experience beyond domestic borders, with its first restaurant in Qatar set to open this year, marking the seventh 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.
