“Moe’s of the Future” Opens in Roswell, Georgia, as Testing Grounds for Brand Innovations

Moe’s Southwest Grill debuts first experimental restaurant to try out new menu concepts, store designs, operational processes and more

ROSWELL, GA.  (Sept. 24, 2015) – Welcome to Moe’s!^® Moe’s Southwest Grill^®, the fast-casual restaurant best known for creating craveable burritos to order with fresh, flavorful ingredients, will today open its first “Moe’s of the Future” experimental restaurant in Roswell, Georgia, the home-state where Moe’s was founded in 2000. This location will enable the brand to openly test improvements to standard restaurant design and layout, culinary offerings, customer service practices and operation procedures, without disrupting ongoing training and day-to-day business at franchise locations. Because this restaurant is not bound by the standard protocols that exist brand-wide, it will allow Moe’s to experiment with bolder concepts and implement them at a faster rate than ever before.

Moe’s of the Future will execute this testing on an ongoing basis with the ultimate goal of improving guest experience across all Moe’s locations, responding to changes in the industry and tech landscape, increasing efficiency and cost-savings, and attracting new customers to the brand. The first differences guests will experience upon entry into Moe’s of the Future on opening day include all-digital menu boards, a larger visible prep area with windows into the fresh ingredient displays designed to increase transparency of fresh food preparation and community tables with charging stations to keep consumers engaged and connected throughout their dining experience. Additionally, the space will designate a second production line solely for mobile/online orders, designed to improve efficiency and potentially double the number of transactions during peak hours without any disruptions to in-house guest service.

Additional changes consumers can expect to see down the line at Moe’s of the Future include brand new menu items and ingredients, equipment upgrades, new cutting-edge design and aesthetic elements, more innovative uses of technology and changes to the ordering and dining experience. The restaurant will be constantly evolving and continuing to implement more radical, first-of-their-kind concepts as time goes on, with a few new modifications being tested per quarter.

“Moe’s of the Future is an exciting step forward for our brand that will enable us to stay ahead of the curve on industry trends and anticipate consumer needs before they even get a chance to voice them,” said Bruce Schroder, President of Moe’s Southwest Grill. “We are constantly brainstorming how to do things better – many of which come directly from our franchisees or general managers in the field – so we’re thrilled to have a new location fully dedicated to bringing these concepts to life, and helping to eventually implement them at a brand-wide level.”

The 4,000-square-foot Moe’s of the Future space is located at The Crossings at Westwind, 930 Woodstock Road in Roswell. All testing of new concepts will follow a dedicated innovation process that will be managed by Moe’s Southwest Grill and incorporate ideas from both franchisees and the field, as well as guests themselves.

Hours of operation are every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, guests may call (678) 585-7573 or visit www.moes.com. Don’t forget to connect with Moe’s on Instagram, Twitter, Vine and Facebook, by tagging your posts and pics with #welcometomoes.

About Moe’s Southwest Grill^®

Welcome to Moe’s!^® Founded in 2000 in Atlanta, GA, Moe’s Southwest Grill is a fast-casual restaurant franchise featuring fresh, handmade, customizable southwestern food in a welcoming environment that rocks. Moe’s is committed to serving only the highest quality ingredients 100% of the time at all of our locations in the U.S and abroad. While Moe’s is best known for its burritos packed with a choice of more than 20 fresh, flavorful ingredients, the menu also features kid’s, vegetarian and low-calorie options, all served with free chips and salsa. Check out Moe’s online at www.moes.com.

About FOCUS Brands Inc.

Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of over 4,000 ice cream shoppes, bakeries, restaurants and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 60 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel^®, Cinnabon^®, Schlotzsky’s^®, Moe’s Southwest Grill^®, Auntie Anne’s^® and McAlister’s Deli^®, as well as Seattle’s Best Coffee^® on certain military bases and in certain international markets.  Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.

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