NRN’s Extra Serving Podcast: Doug Willmarth, President of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes

Doug Willmarth, President of 90-unit “better burger” franchise MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, recently joined the hosts of NRN’s Extra Serving podcast to discuss his franchising background, the current state of the brand, the importance of prioritizing food quality, the evolving leadership team and the recent launch of MOOYAH’s Franchise Owner incentive.

“I am so impressed by our Franchise Owners and the quality of the burger we serve,” said Willmarth on the podcast. “I knew we had to spread the news — this is an amazing product, and we are the best kept secret in franchising. So, since I’ve come onto the team a year-and-a-half-ago, we’ve started building infrastructure to boost growth. We’ve updated our training team, our technology tools and we are ready to grow aggressively.”

In line with that plan, Willmarth has helped spreadhead the new incentive program, which will offer royalty relief to Franchise Owners who sign both a franchise agreement and lease in 2023. While standard royalties for MOOYAH are 6%, qualifying Franchise Owners can receive a reduction, meaning they will pay just 3% in royalties during their first year of operations, 4% the next and 5% the following, before returning to the standard 6% in the fourth year of operations.

“That is why we launched this incentive, so that when our Franchise Owners open, they can be profitable as fast as possible,” said Willmarth. “That extra money gives you the ability to reinvest in the business.”

Further, in working to ensure the Franchise Owners start strong and stay strong, MOOYAH is committed to matching funds put toward grand opening marketing through six months, up to $5,000. “We want them to have a robust marketing program so they can spread the word about the restaurant,” said Willmarth.