California Dreaming: MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Continues to Grow Throughout West Coast

In early 2013, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes announced a focused growth plan targeted on six California counties—Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Joaquin and Merced. Through the leadership of locally-based development agent Loren Katzman, the brand’s footprint in California has steadily grown. To date, she has helped to develop a total of four units across the Bay Area—and with more and more experienced franchisees coming on board to help lead the charge, she’s just getting started.

“My husband and I actually know one of the co-founders, so we’ve been watching MOOYAH take off and have witnessed their incredible growth over the years,” Katzman said. “There’s no better time than now to get involved. The concept is so fun and easy, and the quality of the food is incredible.”

Now, as the brand continues to build momentum for growth, an existing multi-unit franchisee, Terry Ratto, has his sights set on introducing another location to the booming area. With two locations already in Los Gatos and Morgan Hill, California, Ratto has announced plans to bring a third MOOYAH to Santa Clara County.

Since 1985, Ratto has owned a commercial construction company with his brother, which primarily focuses on federal construction projects. Ratto is also an investor in a five-star restaurant in San Francisco called Spruce. But it’s his newest venture with MOOYAH that really has him excited. And for good reason—shortly after opening his first location in Morgan Hill, the restaurant was voted “Best New Restaurant” by the Morgan Hill Times. Realizing the great need for a brand like MOOYAH in California, Ratto decided to keep expanding. A year later, his second location in Los Gatos opened.

“A few years ago, when I was traveling in Texas, I first tried MOOYAH years ago—everything about the experience blew me away. But when I returned home to California, I was disappointed to find that there was only one MOOYAH location in the area at the time,” Ratto said. “We have our share of burger joints here, but nothing like MOOYAH. What sets it apart is its friendly atmosphere, its fresh food and strong emphasis on customization. I knew that if we gave California residents the chance to try MOOYAH, it could easily become their favorite.”

Despite the fact that MOOYAH has only been in California for a couple of years, the brand is already making a big impact. Ratto sees this in simple things like Yelp ratings. When customers search for burger restaurants in the Morgan Hill area, MOOYAH emerges as the top search result. It has the highest and most ratings, too, outshining brands like In-N-Out.

“People have many choices when it comes to deciding where to eat out. But I think what has helped MOOYAH come out on top is the fact that we have both exceptional customer service and an exceptional product. And I think people in California are hungry for something like that,” Ratto added.

As MOOYAH continues to inch closer and closer to hitting an important 100-unit milestone, both Katzman and Ratto are eager to represent that growth throughout California in the years to come.

“The future is bright for MOOYAH in California. It’s exciting to be a part of a growing brand—there’s so much excitement within corporate and within the growing system of franchisees,” Katzman said. “With the help of the right franchisees, I’m confident that MOOYAH can eventually become a household name throughout California.”