MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, the fast casual brand that currently has more than 22 locations across the country, is bringing its better burgers to the sunshine state.

Experienced restaurateurs Justin Church and David Tennyson have been awarded the rights to develop MOOYAH restaurants throughout northern and central Florida as well as the state’s west coast.

Tennyson, a native of St. Augustine, Florida, has been in the franchise business since 1989 and a franchisee in Florida since 2003. Over the next several years he will concentrate MOOYAH’s growth in the northeastern Florida counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, St. John's, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Flagler, Volusia, and Brevard.

“I am excited to introduce the MOOYAH experience to Florida residents,” Tennyson says. “MOOYAH is one of the most exciting franchise concepts to arrive in a long time. I see huge opportunities for growth in the better burger segment and MOOYAH is the natural choice for a high-quality, family friendly product poised for success. Besides, who doesn’t love a good hamburger?”

Meanwhile, fellow development agent Justin Church will focus on building the MOOYAH brand in key cities including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Lake Placid, Fort Myers, and Naples. After working in his family’s franchisee business for more than ten years, Church is relocating from Tennessee to Tampa where he will oversee the development of new restaurants.

What persuaded Church to move cross-country and invest in the better burger leader? “We’ve done plenty of research around franchised brands and the better burger segment is booming,” Church says. “Mooyah is a great concept and perfect fit for these Florida markets. It is here to stay.”

MOOYAH’s dedication to delivering a superior restaurant experience in a fun and family-friendly environment is the foundation for its steady growth. The brand boasts fresh-cut potatoes cooked in oil that’s free of trans-fat, freshly baked buns made daily at the restaurants, and 100 percent lean American beef that’s never frozen and has no additives, fillers, or preservatives.

And, what better to accompany a burger than MOOYAH’s thick and frosty milkshakes made with 100 percent ice cream available in America’s most popular flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and of course, Oreo.

“At MOOYAH, our mission is to deliver the best burger and fry experience and have fun doing it,” explains Alan Hixon, MOOYAH President.

In fact, the better burger brand has landed in the Top 5 in Fast Casual’s annual “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list for two consecutive years.

“We are thrilled to share the MOOYAH brand and experience throughout the U.S. and these key Florida markets represent a huge opportunity for us,” Hixon says. “We expect the concept to be well received and prosper with new franchisees entering the space and increasing our impact.”

Burgers, Denise Lee Yohn: QSR's Marketing Guru, Fast Casual, Growth, News, Pizza, Mooyah