Should I open or buy a Mooyah franchise in 2027?
Direct Answer
Probably not — unless you have $500,000-$900,000 in liquid capital, an A-list end-cap real estate deal in a high-traffic suburban market, and prior multi-unit restaurant operating experience. Mooyah is a 76-unit better-burger franchise with $1,016,330 average gross sales (2024 FDD Item 19), a $372,525-$1,186,124 total startup cost range (Item 7), a $40,000 franchise fee, and 6% royalty plus 2% national marketing.
Real-world franchisee EBITDA lands in the $100,000-$160,000 band at average volume — a 12-15% margin before debt service. Payback runs 5-8 years on a single store at $600K-$800K all-in. The better-burger segment is growing under 1% in 2026, beef costs are up 32% since 2023, and BurgerFi declared bankruptcy in 2024.
This is a viable operator-led investment, not a passive one.
The Real Numbers
The 2025 Mooyah FDD (covering 2024 performance) is the most current public document; the 2026 FDD registers in spring with state regulators and refreshes these figures by April-May 2027. The numbers below come from Item 7 (estimated initial investment), Item 19 (financial performance representation), and Mooyah's franchise.mooyah.com disclosures, cross-checked against Franchise Chatter, Vetted Biz, Sharpsheets, and 1851 Franchise independent FDD reviews.
| Line Item | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40,000 | $40,000 | Single-unit; multi-unit discounts for 3-10 store deals |
| Real estate / lease deposits | $5,000 | $35,000 | First/last month plus security |
| Leasehold improvements / build-out | $175,000 | $675,000 | 1,800-2,400 sq ft end-cap inline; biggest variance line |
| Equipment, furniture, signage | $115,000 | $235,000 | Vulcan grills, Taylor shake machines, POS |
| Architect / engineering | $15,000 | $35,000 | Stamped drawings for permitting |
| Pre-opening training, travel | $5,000 | $15,000 | 4-6 weeks at Plano, TX HQ + in-store |
| Initial inventory + smallwares | $12,000 | $22,000 | Beef, buns, paper goods, kitchen tools |
| Insurance, deposits, licenses | $3,500 | $19,000 | GL, workers comp, liquor (if applicable) |
| Additional funds — 3 months | $25,000 | $70,000 | Working capital to breakeven |
| TOTAL initial investment | $372,525 | $1,186,124 | Per Item 7 of 2025 FDD |
Ongoing fees stack on top of the build-out. The standard royalty is 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. Brand marketing fund is 2% of gross sales (some operators report 3% in legacy agreements).
Mooyah introduced a 2026 incentive: 4% royalty in year one, 5% in year two, 6% from year three on — but only for multi-unit operators signing 3-10 store development agreements. Single-unit operators pay full freight from day one.
Revenue and profit reality (2024 FDD Item 19 data, 65 traditional franchised locations open the entire measurement period):
| Performance Quartile | Avg Gross Sales | Estimated EBITDA | EBITDA Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $1,475,123 | $215,000-$295,000 | 14.5-20% |
| System average | $1,016,330 | $125,000-$160,000 | 12-15.5% |
| Median | $945,000 | $110,000-$140,000 | 11.5-14.5% |
| Bottom 25% | $625,000 | $35,000-$65,000 | 5.5-10.5% |
Industry benchmarks for fast-casual better-burger from IBISWorld (Burger Restaurants in the US, 2026 report), the National Restaurant Association, and Technomic put prime cost (food + labor) at 62-66% of revenue. Beef inflation of 32% since 2023 (per Datassential) versus burger menu price inflation of only 14% has compressed margins 3-5 percentage points sector-wide.
Payback at average volume runs 5-8 years; top-quartile operators hit payback in 3.5-5 years; bottom-quartile stores rarely return capital and often close before lease expiry.
Who Wins With This Business
Multi-unit restaurant operators with 2-5 existing franchise units in non-competing concepts win consistently. They have existing GMs to redeploy, vendor relationships, a payroll/accounting back office, and bank relationships for SBA 7(a) loans. The 2026 royalty incentive (4% year one, scaling to 6%) makes the multi-unit math work: signing a 3-pack development agreement saves roughly $30,000-$45,000 in royalties per store across years 1-2, which materially shortens payback.
Owner-operators with $300,000+ liquid capital, $800,000 net worth, 15+ years of food-service operating experience, and an A-grade end-cap retail site at $30-$42 per square foot triple-net rent are the second winning profile. Texas and Sunbelt operators — Mooyah is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and the brand over-indexes in DFW, Austin, Houston, and suburban Atlanta, where brand recognition cuts customer acquisition cost by 35-45% versus cold markets.
Who Loses With This Business
First-time absentee investors lose. The bottom-quartile $625K average gross sales scenario produces $35K-$65K EBITDA — before debt service. An SBA 7(a) loan on a $700,000 buildout at 10.5% over 10 years costs roughly $112,000 per year in debt service, which exceeds bottom-quartile EBITDA outright.
Suburban Northeast and California operators face build-out costs at the high end of Item 7 ($900K-$1.18M) because of prevailing-wage requirements, permitting delays of 5-9 months, and rent above $50/sq ft. Single-unit operators who skip the multi-unit royalty incentive pay full 6% royalty plus 2% marketing from week one — that 8% gross-sales tax at average volume of $1.01M is $81,300 per year off the top.
Operators chasing the better-burger segment without differentiation lose to Five Guys, Shake Shack, In-N-Out, Smashburger, Habit Burger, and Whataburger, all of which have deeper brand awareness and higher unit volumes.
2027 Market Conditions
Better-burger fast-casual is the toughest restaurant segment to enter in 2027. Burger and sandwich QSR segments are projected to grow under 0.5% in 2026 per Technomic, down from 1% in 2025. Beef prices are 32% above January 2023 levels per Datassential, while menu prices have only risen 14% at full-service and 16% at limited-service — a 15-18 percentage-point margin gap the industry is still absorbing.
The USDA cattle herd hit a 73-year low in early 2026, and herd rebuilding takes 4-7 years, so beef cost relief is unlikely before 2029. BurgerFi declared bankruptcy in September 2024. Shake Shack has slowed new unit openings to 40-45 per year (down from 75+ in 2022).
Habit Burger parent Yum Brands has signaled it may divest the chain. Mooyah's 2024 same-store sales rose 5.4% with 2.3% traffic growth — meaningful outperformance, but on a low base of 76 units across 21 states. Labor cost pressure continues: California's $20 fast-food minimum wage took effect April 2024, New York raised tipped-worker wages 14% in January 2026, and federal overtime threshold rose to $58,656 in January 2025.
The 2026 royalty incentive (4% year-one, scaling to 6%) is a clear signal that Mooyah corporate needs unit growth and is willing to subsidize the early years to get it — favorable to franchisees willing to commit to 3+ stores.
The 90-Day Decision Tree
- Days 1-10 — Capital and credit verification. Pull personal credit; confirm FICO 720+. Document liquid capital of $300,000+ and net worth of $800,000+. Pre-qualify with two SBA 7(a) preferred lenders (Live Oak, Celtic, ReadyCap) for a $500,000-$900,000 facility at projected 9.5-11% rate. If you cannot document these floors, stop here — Mooyah will not approve the application.
- Days 11-25 — FDD request and read. Submit a franchise inquiry at franchise.mooyah.com. Mooyah ships the 2026 FDD (registered with state regulators) within 5-7 business days. Read every word of Items 7, 19, 20, and 21. Item 20 lists closed/transferred/terminated stores by name — call 5 of those former operators directly. They will tell you the truth.
- Days 26-45 — Active-franchisee validation calls. Call 15-20 current Mooyah franchisees from the Item 20 list. Ask the five questions that matter: (a) actual gross sales versus FDD average, (b) prime cost percentage, (c) hours worked per week, (d) would they sign again, (e) what surprised them. Spend 3 hours minimum on validation.
- Days 46-60 — Market and site analysis. Order a Buxton or eSite Analytics trade-area study ($3,500-$6,500). Mooyah's ideal trade area is 25,000+ daytime population, $75,000+ median household income, 40,000+ vehicles per day, end-cap with patio. Walk 8-12 potential sites with a commercial broker — CBRE, JLL, or a regional retail specialist.
- Days 61-75 — Discovery Day and legal review. Attend Discovery Day at Plano, TX HQ (2 days). Engage a franchise attorney ($3,500-$6,500 flat fee) to redline the Franchise Agreement. Negotiate: territory protection, renewal terms, transfer rights, post-term covenants, and the 2026 royalty incentive if signing multi-unit.
- Days 76-90 — Decision and deposit OR walk. If validation calls reported $950K+ average sales, prime cost under 65%, and 8+ of 15 operators said they would sign again — sign the Franchise Agreement and wire the $40,000 fee. If any of those tripwires failed — walk away and apply your capital to a better-economics concept (see Alternative Plays).
Alternative Plays
If the better-burger thesis appeals but Mooyah does not, consider these. Five Guys (private, 1,500+ units, $1.4M-$1.6M AUV, higher franchise fee at $25K-$80K but no royalty incentive needed). Smashburger (Privately owned by Jollibee Foods, 220 units, $1.0M-$1.1M AUV, 6% royalty + 2.5% marketing, more flexible footprint).
Wayback Burgers (170+ units, lower investment at $278K-$700K, $793K AUV). Buying an existing Mooyah via the resale market at 3-4× SDE ($300K-$500K) avoids build-out risk and gives proven sales history — check Mooyah's franchise resale listings and Restaurant Brokers Network.
If the goal is restaurant cash flow rather than the burger thesis, the better economics in 2027 are in chicken — Slim Chickens ($1.5M AUV, growing 15% YoY), Bojangles ($1.8M AUV), or Dave's Hot Chicken ($2.1M AUV, the fastest-growing chicken franchise in QSR history).
Chicken margins beat beef margins by 4-7 percentage points in 2026 because chicken commodity prices are flat year-over-year while beef is at record highs.
FAQ
Is Mooyah profitable for a single-unit owner-operator?
At $1,016,330 system-average gross sales, a single-unit owner-operator clears $125,000-$160,000 in EBITDA before debt service. After a $700,000 SBA 7(a) loan at 10.5% over 10 years ($112K/yr in debt service), take-home is $13,000-$48,000 in year one — below median household income.
The economics work for owner-operators only at above-average volume ($1.15M+) or with lower debt load ($350K-$450K total investment). Single-unit Mooyah is best treated as a first store toward a 3-pack, not a destination.
How does Mooyah compare to Five Guys financially?
Five Guys wins on unit volume ($1.4M-$1.6M AUV versus Mooyah's $1.0M) but loses on investment efficiency — Five Guys' Item 7 ranges $306K-$926K, comparable to Mooyah. Five Guys takes 4% royalty + 2% marketing versus Mooyah's 6% + 2%, meaning Five Guys franchisees keep $20,000-$28,000 more per store per year in royalties.
Five Guys' resale market is tighter (higher multiples, fewer listings). Choose Mooyah if you want a smaller, faster-moving system and the 2026 royalty incentive; choose Five Guys for proven $1.4M+ volumes.
What kills a Mooyah franchise?
Three failure modes dominate. Bad real estate (low-traffic strip centers, no patio, weak end-cap visibility) cuts gross sales 25-40% versus FDD average. Inexperienced operators who try to absentee-manage burn through working capital in 6-9 months.
Over-leveraged builds ($900K+ on a market that supports $850K AUV) make debt service the killer — the Item 19 bottom quartile is dominated by over-built, over-leveraged stores.
Can I finance a Mooyah with an SBA 7(a) loan?
Yes. Mooyah is on the SBA Franchise Directory, so SBA 7(a) loans up to $5 million are available through preferred lenders (Live Oak Bank, Celtic Bank, ReadyCap, Newtek). Typical structure: 20-25% equity injection, 10-year term, prime + 2.75-3.0% (currently 10.5-11%).
SBA 504 is also available for the real estate portion if you own the building. Expect 60-90 days from application to funding with a strong package.
Should I buy an existing Mooyah or open new?
Buy existing if you find a store with 2+ years of operating history, $900K+ trailing 12-month sales, clean lease with 5+ years remaining, and a 3.0-3.5× SDE multiple. Open new if you have an A-grade real estate site Mooyah corporate has not yet approved, you want fresh equipment with full warranties, and you can commit to the 2026 multi-unit royalty incentive.
Resale economics usually win for single-unit operators; new-build economics win for 3-pack developers using the incentive.
Bottom Line
Mooyah is a viable franchise for the right operator profile and a capital-destroying choice for the wrong one. The 2026 royalty incentive (4-5-6% step-up over three years) materially improves the multi-unit math and is the strongest signal Mooyah corporate has sent in years.
Single-unit, first-time, absentee owners should walk; multi-unit restaurant operators with $500K-$900K liquid, A-grade real estate, and Sunbelt geography should run the 90-day decision tree and likely sign. Average gross sales of $1.016M with 12-15% EBITDA margin clears the operator-led franchise investment bar at $600K-$800K all-in, but only with disciplined site selection and prime cost held under 65%.
Beef inflation, segment stagnation, and BurgerFi-style competitor failures are real risks priced into the deal. Buy existing at 3.0-3.5× SDE if a clean resale appears in your market — that is the highest risk-adjusted return path in the Mooyah system today.
Sources
- Franchise Chatter — MOOYAH Franchise Review 2025: Costs, Fees, Average Revenues and/or Profits (August 2025)
- Mooyah Franchising LLC — 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Item 7 and Item 19
- Vetted Biz — Mooyah Franchise Insights: FDD, Costs & Fees (2026 update)
- Sharpsheets — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes Franchise FDD, Profits & Costs (2025)
- 1851 Franchise — How Much Does It Cost To Open a MOOYAH Franchise?
- QSR Magazine — MOOYAH Offers New Franchise Incentive for Multi-Unit Operators (2025)
- QSR Magazine — Restaurant Outlook for 2026: Leaders Take Share, and Searching for a Spark
- Datassential — Burger Prices Up 14% Since 2023 While Beef Costs Surge 32% (2026 analysis)
- Restaurant Dive — Beef costs exceed burger prices, pressuring QSRs (2026)
- IBISWorld — Burger Restaurants in the US Industry Report (2026 edition)
- National Restaurant Association — 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry Report
- Bisnow — Mooyah Burgers Targets Expansion Amid Industry Challenges (2025)
- SBA Franchise Directory — MOOYAH Franchising LLC (active, 2026)