MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Continues Middle East Expansion with First Restaurant Opening in Bahrain
Dallas (PRWEB) January 06, 2014 -- MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain, is pleased to announce the recent opening of its first restaurant in the Kingdom of Bahrain on November 3, 2013. Located in the vibrant restaurant area of Juffair in the heart of the capital Manama, the restaurant is the second new country launch in the Middle East for MOOYAH since September of 2013.
The Bahrain restaurant is the third restaurant concept owned and operated by Al Merbati International Company WLL (Al Merbati), which has entered into a multi-unit development agreement with MENAFEX LLC (MENAFEX), MOOYAH’s international development partner for the Middle East. Al Merbati is led by Mr. Ahmed Al Merbati, the Managing Director. The family oriented company is currently operating businesses related to education, real estate, automotive and the food and beverage industry.
"Al Merbati is proud to launch MOOYAH in Bahrain,” said Mr. Abduljabbar Al Merbati, Executive Director. “Distinctive tasty burgers are rare to find in the Kingdom. We have chosen MOOYAH because we believe that it is able to stand out in this market and has that extra edge to make it one of the best, if not the best, among its competitors.”
Founded in Dallas, Texas, MOOYAH has seen tremendous growth in the last several years, expanding from a Texas brand into an emerging national player and a leader in the growing “better burger” segment of fast-casual dining. The brand is currently in three countries and 12 states and nearly doubled its number of restaurants from 25 to 48 in 2012. In 2013, MOOYAH continued its expansion, with strong growth domestically and abroad, totaling 58 units. Internationally, the brand is developing in Canada and Latin America in addition to the Middle East.
“As we come off the heels of our 50th restaurant opening in the U.S., there is no better time than now to expand internationally,” said Rich Hicks, MOOYAH’s CEO and President. “MENAFEX’s experience in successful multi-brand support and international development, along with its excellent connections and enthusiasm for the MOOYAH brand, all make MENAFEX the perfect partner to spearhead our growth in the Middle East.”
MENAFEX is a uniquely focused company that was founded on the concept of providing complete development strategy, brand adaptation and implementation, along with operations support for food service brands internationally. A core component of MENAFEX’s success is having dedicated, brand-focused personnel in a development region. MENAFEX is led by CEO and President Stephen Getty who, in addition to being a classically trained chef, has more than 20 years of global business operations experience in outsourcing and procurement, as well as quality and efficiency engineering.
Beyond MENAFEX’s development of MOOYAH in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the company has MOOYAH restaurants under development in Kuwait, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which are projected to open in the first quarter of this year.
“The MOOYAH brand is special because, while they want to drive sales and grow, they want to have fun and maintain the core brand DNA and quality while doing it,” Getty said. “At MENAFEX, we sincerely believe MOOYAH is poised for greater growth. They have established an incredible foundation in the United States, through the strength of their process, solid strategic plan, honest leadership team and commitment to quality in food and operations. These factors, along with great individual country operators, will fuel their growth internationally.”
Hicks echoed his sentiment noting that MOOYAH began as a simple concept revolving around friendly people serving the freshest, most delicious burgers, fries and shakes available.
“As our brand continues to evolve domestically and internationally, we are committed to keeping it simple, while still relevant to appeal to our Guests’ individual tastes and favorites,” Hicks said.
For more information on the growing brand, follow MOOYAH on Twitter @MooyahBurger and connect with MOOYAH on Facebook at the MOOYAH Burgers & Fries Fan page.
ABOUT MOOYAH BURGERS, FRIES & SHAKES
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes is a fast-casual, “better burger” concept serving mouth-watering made-to-order burgers, hand-cut French fries made from high-quality Idaho potatoes, and handcrafted 100-percent ice cream shakes. Founded in 2007, the Plano, Texas-based company only uses fresh, American lean beef and all-natural Jennie-O® turkey burgers, buns baked in house, real cheeses and toppings made from garden-fresh ingredients. It offers online ordering, and a cookout trailer for corporate, social and fundraising events. MOOYAH has been ranked 1st overall in Restaurant Business’s 2013 Future 50 list, listed as No. 8 in Fast Casual Magazine’s annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers in 2013, a list they have been at the top of for several years in a row, and BurgerBusiness included MOOYAH in its list of “11 Burger Chains to Watch in 2011.” In 2013, the brand was named “best burger” in its hometown by DallasChild and NorthTexasChild magazines. In the same year, MOOYAH received recognition in USA Today’s Top 50 Franchises for Military Veterans. For more information on MOOYAH, its menu or franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.mooyah.com. Follow MOOYAH on Twitter @MooyahBurger and connect with MOOYAH on Facebook Fan page.
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Brian Jaeger, No Limit Agency, http://www.nolimitagency.com, 312.526.3996, [email protected]
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