Moe’s Southwest grill is a recent and still growing franchise. Its food is described as Tex Mex and Mexican. There are several options at the restaurants for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Moe’s is aimed at people who want to have a good time with family. Part of the company’s philosophy is the idea of being individual and yourself. It is very interesting.

The franchise is part of the larger Atlanta based company FOCUS Brands. There are over 600 Moe’s restaurants in the world. The company has spread across the US, and even other countries, such as Japan, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Russia. The company has active social media accounts in the likes of Facebook, and an overall intriguing company culture.

History

Moe’s is a very new restaurant. As such its history is short. The restaurant’s story begins in the 1980’s. Recent college student Martin Sprock, eventual founder of Moe’s, initially had a five year job involved on the real estate business. He however reinvented himself as restaurant owner after his favorite bar closed. He teamed up with the bar’s former owner, and reopened the bar in a different location.

He found success in buying and building bars in the Southwest America. However, Sprock wanted something else. So he sold his business interests relating to the bar out to other people and started fresh. This time he wanted to create a family oriented fun restaurant. His first creation was Planet Smoothie.

Planet Smoothie found success in the 1990’s. Sprock opened his first in 1995 in Atlanta Georgia. Planet Smoothie went on to find moderate success with 20 in the Southwest and 25 partnered shops in Atlanta. Yet this Smoothie themed franchise found itself against stiff competition against other Smoothie joints and growth stalled in 2000. To combat this, Sprock looked into other potential restaurant ideas, and he soon settled on an idea for a Southwest inspired restaurant.

Moe’s Southwest Grill was born in 2,000. It was built upon the values of a zany and fun restaurant, much like Sprock’s initial creation of planet Smoothie. He wanted to offer customers a healthy fast food fast-food experience. He described his latest venture as something like, “A Mexican Subway”. The chain quickly become very popular and grew into a very popular chain. Now with 600 locations in the USA alone, the chain is on the fast track to becoming a much popular restaurant.

Menu

Moe’s Southwest Grill has an interesting naming scheme for some of its menu. The Art Vandalay, sold at about $6.00, is a vegetarian burrito named after George’s Alias in Seinfeld. Or the Who Is Kaiser Salsa, named after the mysterious culprit from the Usual Suspects. Most of the names of their foods follow this pop culture inspired naming scheme. The price of these items is average.

There are a few recommended menu items to go over. There is a variety of taste in this franchise.  The Earmuff burrito bowl costs around $8.00, and has a variety of choices of meat such as chicken, beef, or tofu for vegetarians. Other menu options include the Ruprict Vegetarian Nachos for an average $7.00, or The Funk Meister Tacos for $3.00, coming with your choice of chicken, tofu, or steak.

Moe’s Southwest Grill tries to create a fun, exciting atmosphere for its staff. As such staff tend to be a little eager and often working as part of a college job. The hygiene of the franchise tend to be average to above average, and ultimately dependent on local staff members. The waiting time is also dependent on local conditions. The busiest days will usually be Weekends and Friday Nights.

Moe’s has no microwaves. The ambiance of the franchise is best described as energetic. There are several restaurant locations in the US. They have locations in Maryland, Florida, and Oregon. They are opening new locations every year, and quickly growing to be a competitor against giants like Chipotle and Qdoba.