Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes is gearing up to provide customers, as well as existing and new franchise owners, a fresh and elevated dining experience. The fast casual has an interior and logo refresh in the works set to carry the system into a new decade with a roll out starting in the first quarter of 2020.
The new prototype and design come at a critical point for the brand, as the company is actively ramping up franchising efforts in new as well as current markets across the U.S. Mooyah, which has about 80 domestic locations, plans to open 14 new locations in 2020, all of which will feature the updated design. Restaurants currently under construction in Hoover, Alabama, and Orlando, Florida, will be the first to unveil the brand’s updated design and are scheduled to open in February 2020.
READ MORE: How Mooyah incentivized employees to improve online reviews
“This new design and layout will take Mooyah to the next level in terms of providing a differentiated experience that reduces friction for our guests and team members,” Mooyah president Tony Darden said in a statement. “This new approach will also align with our overall strategy to be accessible to our guests in the manner in which they want to enjoy their dining experience.”
Mooyah’s new design will include the following changes:
- New dining areas and seating arrangement: Mooyah restaurants will now feature more community-minded seating areas with high-top tables. New buildouts will also showcase a flexible seating area where guests are able to move tables to accommodate larger parties, as well as a section of booth seating for guests who want to stay for an extended period of time. Additionally, a bench will be added near pick-up order shelving so guests have a dedicated place to wait.
- Purposeful third-party and to-go pick-up areas: In keeping up with consumer demand, Mooyah will now provide a designated area for shelving that will hold pick-up and to-go orders.
- Closing off the kitchen: Up until now, Mooyah has featured open kitchens, but after gathering customer feedback and tapping into layout best practices, Mooyah will now close off the kitchens to create an improved consumer experience, focusing on dining room elements.
- Going digital: All locations moving forward will feature digital menuboards as well as back-of-house kitchen display systems to enhance throughput and accuracy.
- Logo refresh: Mooyah is updating its logo to a more streamlined, modern application, which will begin rolling out systemwide in January along with the remodeled locations.
“The new Mooyah provides a high-esteem experience, whether that be through dining in, to-go pick-up or delivery,” Darden added. “We are confident this elevated design positions us extremely well to achieve our short- and long-term growth strategies as we partner with existing as well as new franchise owners. We truly believe the alignment of design and experience with our second-to-none food quality gives us a competitive advantage across the industry.”
The remodel was visualized in collaboration with Livit, a Madrid-based company with a focus in guest experience design. Livit’s research involved a full brand immersion that included dining at multiple Mooyah locations, as well as at competitor restaurants. Livit worked with the Mooyah leadership team to complete brand analysis, concept rebranding, concept design, and the eventual prototype.
“The Livit team worked extremely hard to understand Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes and took a deep dive into the brand’s culture and values,” Livit said in a statement. “Livit also looked at where the brand has been, where it stands in the marketplace and how the leadership team envisions its future. The result is a wonderfully updated look that will be recognized by both guests and the fast-casual industry. It has been and remains a pleasure to work with the Mooyah team.”
Natalie Anderson Liu, Mooyah’s VP of brand, said the restaurant refresh will be a game-changer for the chain as the company works toward upgrading its entire system. In addition to the new locations that will be opening with the elevated design, the franchise will work with operators to remodel 12 existing locations in 2020, and all current stores will remodel to the new design by the end of 2024.
“We have come a long way since our founding in 2007, and we have always embraced change and adapted to our guests’ evolving needs, as evidenced by our Lifestyle Burgers that align with consumer trends,” Anderson Liu said. “Converting all locations to our new, modern design and service model is critical to realizing the additional sales and traffic it will bring. Our high-quality, ‘ridiculicious’ food has always set us apart from the competition, but now in adding this world-class design, our valued guests will truly be getting the best ‘better burger’ experience anywhere.”
Mooyah is actively looking to grow in markets such as Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tampa and Charlotte.