Mooyah’s new president shares tips on how operational excellence drives restaurant success

Take-Away with Sam Oches

Nation's Restaurant News

Business, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 17 Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Michael Meche, president of Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes. Michael has three decades of experience in the restaurant industry, most of that with Papa Johns, where he started as a store employee before working his way up to vice president of franchise operations. He then spent a few years at Capriotti’s and Wing Zone before taking on his current role earlier this summer. Michael has a passion for operational excellence, particularly as it relates to franchisee success, and he’s bringing that passion to Mooyah, the Dallas-based better-burger brand with around 75 locations. He joined the podcast to talk about his philosophy on great operations, franchise growth, and how to turn a minimum wage job into a career you can be passionate about.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

If you don’t know how to run the restaurant, it’s hard to do anything else
No matter how fast you scale, don’t forget to grow one restaurant at a time
Great operations are what help you beat the restaurant across the street
You should equip your employees with life-long skills
The most important thing you can give your team is your time

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.

Transcript

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0:00.0	55% of Gen Z and millennials say social media reviews are the top reason they try a restaurant,
0:05.2	and 73% have visited a restaurant in the last three months because of one.
0:09.7	Do you have timely reviews working for you?
0:12.2	Quick turn influencer review campaigns from Bell Communication can fill tables fast.
0:17.3	Visit bellcommunication.com slash influence to learn more.
0:21.3	Hey there, welcome to Takeaway with Sam Ocas, a podcast from Nation's Restaurant News.
0:25.6	I'm Sam Ocas, editor-in-chief here at NRN, and this is the show where I give you an all-access pass
0:30.5	to the restaurant industry's most influential decision-makers.
0:34.1	This week I'm talking with Michael Mesh, the president of Muya Burgers, Fries, and Shakes.
0:39.8	Michael has three decades of experience in the restaurant industry, most of that with Papa
0:44.5	Johns, where he started as a store employee before working his way up to vice president of
0:49.8	franchise operations.
0:51.5	He then spent a few years at Capriotti's and Wing Zone before taking on his current role earlier this summer.
0:58.3	Michael has a passion for operational excellence, particularly as it relates to franchisee success, and he's
1:05.0	bringing that passion to Muya, the Dallas-based Better Burger brand with around 75 locations.
1:11.0	He joined the podcast to talk about his philosophy on great operations,
1:15.2	franchise growth, and how to turn a minimum wage job into a career that you can be passionate about.
1:20.6	In this interview, you will learn more about why great operations are what help you beat the restaurant across the street,
1:26.6	why you should equip your employees
1:28.6	with lifelong skills, and why the most important thing that you can give your team is your time.
1:34.2	Also, reminder that we're gearing up for an incredible create the event for emerging restaurant
1:38.9	tours this October 15th through 17th in Nashville.
	...

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