The 30-year restaurant industry veteran will develop six restaurants with the best burger brand in Florida and Georgia.
By Carson McQuillan
1851 Franchise
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, the fast casual, best-burger franchise, is coming to Ocala, expanding its presence in the Sunshine State. Opening later this year, the new Ocala restaurant marks the first MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes restaurant for multi-brand franchisee Brad Harper, who plans to open a total of six MOOYAH restaurants in Florida and Georgia with his partners.
“We were searching for a burger brand that we felt showed potential, and the biggest thing for us was looking for a great product,” Harper said. “We always try to look at franchises that offer quality products and quality meals. When we found MOOYAH, we went and had some of their burgers and thought they were exceptional. Once we went to Texas to meet with their executive team, we knew that we found the right brand.”
Harper has worked in the restaurant business for over 30 years starting at Taco Bell. Since then, he has been involved in seven different franchises, including Zaxby’s, Shuckin’ Shack, and Mellow Mushroom. His first Zaxby’s location was store No. 104, and he has been part of the system as Zaxby’s has expanded to almost 1,000 stores. His experience there helped him identify MOOYAH as a high-quality brand poised for explosive growth.
“We are fortunate to be growing quickly with experienced, successful restaurant operators like Brad and his team,” said MOOYAH president Doug Willmarth. “We are expanding quickly in Florida and Georgia, but still have excellent territory available.”
After three decades in the quick-service industry, Harper decided that MOOYAH was the best concept for him to develop due to its superior product quality and prime available territory.
“The future looks bright at MOOYAH. When I visited with the corporate folks in Texas, I realized they had good strategy and franchisee support,” Harper said. “They’re working very hard to keep costs in check for franchise owners while providing a high quality product to guests. From the moment I met them, I felt that we were going to be moving forward and making great decisions. We try to attach ourselves to brands on an upward trajectory, and that’s MOOYAH.”
For more information on the growing brand, be sure to connect with MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes on the Facebook Fan page, and follow MOOYAH on LinkedIn, Twitter @MOOYAHburgers and Instagram @MOOYAHburgers, and TikTok @mooyahburgers.
For franchising opportunities, please visit franchise.mooyah.com.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept committed to providing the best tasting burger experience possible with mouthwatering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries, and real ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, Texas-based company serves fresh, 100% Certified Angus Beef® brand burgers, all natural turkey burgers, and Dr. Praeger’s black bean vegan burgers. MOOYAH’s non-GMO potato and multigrain buns are baked in-house daily, and Guests can choose from five real cheeses, bacon, avocado and 19 free sauces and toppings made from garden-fresh veggies. MOOYAH Guests can choose from eight flavors of 100% real ice cream shakes, including vanilla, Hershey’s chocolate, Reese’s, Oreo and more. While many Guests dine in-restaurant, MOOYAH also offers online ordering, delivery and carry out for Guests on the go as well as a loyalty app.
