Beth Stockmoe has immersed her career in the restaurant industry, starting as a hostess in high school, a bartender in college, and eventually moving into management. Her resume includes roles at regional and national brands such as Pei Wei Asian Diner, Applebee’s, Mimi’s Cafe, and Zoe’s Kitchen.
Although Stockmoe initially considered a culinary career, she quickly realized her strengths lay in operations and data-driven decision-making. After two decades in the field, she received a call from Texas-based “better burger” franchise MOOYAH—which happened to be her son’s favorite restaurant.
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“I fell in love with the numbers piece. This is a cool field because everything’s a challenge, and the word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in our vocabulary,” Stockmoe says. “It’s competitive, and you’re constantly looking for ways to improve, but there’s no obstacle that operators can’t overcome.”
In 2018, Stockmoe joined MOOYAH as the senior director of operations, navigating the complexities of the pandemic. Four years later, in 2023, she was promoted to vice president of operations, where she continues to refine the brand’s operational strategy in a challenging, inflation-driven market.
Stockmoe is focused on creating a streamlined operational model that balances economic efficiency, high food quality, cost containment without frequent price increases, and increased traffic without playing into the “value wars.”
She has spearheaded efforts to curb food waste by improving kitchen labor models and efficiencies, implementing a new back-of-house system for accurate inventory reporting, and supporting franchisees during restaurant openings.
“Our franchisees are entrepreneurs, so they’re always thinking of different ways to enhance their operations. We get all sorts of inspiration from our franchisees, which can then be funneled upwards to people with the experience to follow through,” Stockmoe says. “I’ve got a really solid team that brings these ideas to life in a way that builds sales and ensures profitability.”
In early 2024, MOOYAH rolled out a series of restaurant design innovations, including strategically placed to-go pickup areas, dynamic digital menu boards, ordering kiosks, and flexible seating arrangements.
Stockmoe also played a key role in developing MOOYAH’s latest kitchen prototype and drive-thru format, designed to enhance guest convenience and reduce costs for franchisees.
“The challenge for us with the drive-thru format was making all of our food fresh. With our old systems, we couldn’t get the food out faster than four minutes, which is just too long,” Stockmoe explains. “So we installed clamshell grills, upgraded toasters, and improved our fry processes to get down to two minutes and under. We paired this with enhanced kitchen display systems that track ticket times, helping us improve our accuracy and speed … which has been imperative.”
MOOYAH has opened three corporate drive-thru locations, with more in the pipeline. Each innovation—whether a drive-thru, new tech stack, or kitchen equipment—is thoroughly tested by Stockmoe and the corporate team before being rolled out to franchisees.
“We opened a location in Frisco, Texas, where we tested every single new process. Everything is theoretical until you put it into action,” Stockmoe says. “We take a few months to fine-tune and make adjustments before letting our franchisees run with it. Everything we want to do is vetted by corporate, our guests, and team members to ensure ease of execution.”
Unlike other brands in the category, MOOYAH serves a diverse customer base with varied needs and lifestyles. The brand’s growth strategy includes expanding its drive-thru footprint, building smaller stores around 1,400 square feet, and adopting geofencing technology to streamline off-premises orders.
“We’re up in both sales and traffic, but we’ve seen that value is more than just what the guests are paying for. We are focusing on the core five: high-quality ingredients, speed of service, accuracy, service, and restaurant design,” Stockmoe says. “We’ve invested heavily into inviting, cool-looking restaurants with unmatched service.”
The brand plans to open 15 new units in 2025, with the first launching in January. These restaurants will showcase MOOYAH’s next-generation prototypes, featuring drive-thrus, smaller footprints, and updated designs.
“Technology is the key to operations. It helps with the guest and team member experience,” Stockmoe says. “Our franchisees are seeing better profits because they’ve got better efficiency. You have to get comfortable with change … it’s the only true way to grow a concept. Nothing is stagnant. You have to embrace challenges, work on the problems you have, and see your passion projects through.”
