Next Tribe Square Eatery: Mooyah

By Sam Thrift Friday, October 14, 2011

The fourth retail space in Tribe Square has been claimed this week, giving William and Mary students another option for their study-session snack breaks come the spring semester.

Mooyah, a burger, fries and shakes restaurant, will be opening at the beginning of January. Tribe Square will be its first location in the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia area.

“The closest thing you can compare Mooyah to is Five Guys,” said P2 Sandhu, a franchisee of Mooyah and YUM Brands. “We resemble them because our burger patties are fresh and never frozen, but there are many things that make us different.”

Unlike Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Mooyah burger buns - white and wheat – and fries are made in house. You can also watch the entire process of your sandwich being made, similar to what you would see in Subway, Sandu said.

The restaurant will be technology-oriented, giving students the option to text their order or order online before picking it up.

The 95-seat restaurant will target college students with specials, but Sandhu said the family-oriented feel of the establishment is what attracted him and his brother, Gulu, to open the burger place. For example, people will be able to draw on one of the four walls in Mooyah, called the Moodle Doodle wall.

“We loved that when parents are ordering, their kids can go doodle on the wall,” Sandhu said.

Being the first Mooyah to open on a campus, Sandhu said the store will finalize food specials for William and Mary students before their doors open.

Normal Mooyah hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the franchisee wants to provide more college-like-hours for students, staying open until 1 a.m. everyday. Sandhu said if the students demand it, they will keep the store open later.

There are 30 Mooyahs across the country, located in Texas, Tennessee, Connecticut and California.

The Crust, Subway Café and the Pita Pit are the other food options in Tribe Square. Find out more about those restaurants by clicking here.

To look at Mooyah’s menu, click here.