News

Moe's Southwest transfers 67 units to new franchisee

March 10, 2020

Moe's Southwest Grill has transferred 67 franchised locations in Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia to Quality Fresca, a new division of Quality Restaurant Group, the parent company of Quality Huts and Quality Meat, which own 200 Pizza Huts and 27 Arby's units, respectively. 

In partnership with Matt Ailey, founder of GenRock Capital Management;  Matt Slaine, CEO of Quality Restaurant Group, and Chris Grooms, VP of Quality Fresca, the restaurant group plans to roll out the updated brand design for the restaurants in the next 12-18 months. The series of transactions will make Quality Fresca the largest franchisee in the Moe's Southwest Grill portfolio, according to a company press release.

"We believe there is extraordinary growth ahead for the Moe's Southwest Grill brand and know that our company will be a significant partner as the brand continues to innovate and secure share in a competitive segment,"  Slaine said in the release. "Matt and I have been fans of Moe's for a long time and were attracted to the unique brand personality, culture, leadership, vision for the future and unit-level economics."

Based in North Carolina, Quality Restaurant Group employs more than 7,500 people.

"The Moe's Southwest Grill brand has been a beloved restaurant brand in the fast casual segment for 20 years and the brand is accelerating our journey to modernize both the in-restaurant and off-premise customer experiences," said Erik Hess, President, Moe's Southwest Grill  "Working together with the passionate and dedicated group of Moe's franchisees has enhanced the brand strength and adding new franchisees like Quality Restaurant Group will serve as another advantage for the brand in several of our largest markets."

Moe's Southwest Grill has more than 700 restaurants in 40 states and is part of the Focus Brands family of brands, which includes Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli and Schlotzsky's.

In addition to Quality Restaurant Group, Moe's Southwest Grill is seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join its franchise network, according to the release.