Momentum Builds Behind Moe’s Southwest Grill’s First Overseas Franchise Deal

Leading restaurant franchisor partners with seasoned entrepreneur to develop 40 restaurants in Turkey

ATLANTA, GA - Moe's Southwest Grill , the fast growing restaurant franchise best known for its flavorful southwest fare and distinct brand culture, signed its first overseas development agreement for 40 Moe's restaurants in Turkey.

Master licensee David Ergisi plans to open the first location in Istanbul's Sapphire Towers, the tallest building in the center of the country's tourism capital, this September.

"I am eager to bring this successful restaurant to my home country and to be a pioneer for the fast-casual segment through the introduction of Moe's," says Ergisi. "Moe's will appeal to consumers in Turkey because of the restaurant's speed of service, value, customization, price point and health consciousness."

Moe's parent company FOCUS Brands, the franchisor and operator of 2,200 Carvel®, Cinnabon® and Schlotzsky's® locations, has a robust international infrastructure that currently supports over 530 locations in 34 countries, and is poised to support significant international growth for Moe's. At the same time, the Moe's domestic development team is prepared to support 50 openings in 2010.

"This is an exciting time for the Moe's brand," explains Paul Damico, president of Moe's Southwest Grill. "In addition to this great partner bringing our brand to Turkey, domestic same store sales are positive and in the first quarter alone, Moe's has sold more franchise deals than all of 2009 combined. As we celebrate our tenth year of business, I believe we've hit our next growth spurt."

About Moe's Southwest Grill

Moe's Southwest Grill is a fast-casual concept featuring fresh southwest fare in a fun and engaging atmosphere with over 400 locations nationwide and in Canada. At Moe's, each meal is prepared right before your eyes and is accompanied by free chips and salsa, including the Homewrecker burrito, the Billy Barou nachos, and the Close Talker salad. Founded in 2000, Atlanta-based Moe's Southwest Grill was named a Top Ten Growth Chain by Restaurant Hospitality in 2007 and is a Gold Award winner of the 2008 Consumer's Choice in Chains Awards. Moe's is owned by FOCUS Brands Inc.®, the franchisor and operator of over 2,200 Carvel®,Cinnabon®,Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill® locations and Seattle's Best Coffee® on certain military bases and in international markets.