People wait in line at the Provo MOOYAH opening. The restaurant offered to give the first 100 transactions on Aug. 29 a free T-Shirt and a year's worth of fries. (Natalie Liu)
MOOYAH, a popular “better burger” restaurant near BYU, gave away T-Shirts and a year’s worth of free fries to the first 100 transactions on Monday, Aug. 29, 2016. The event honored the opening of the restaurant's newest location, which opened in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and marked the 100th restaurant in the franchise.
“100 is significant because before that, you aren’t considered a major player in the restaurant industry,” said Shayne Nielson, owner of Provo’s MOOYAH.
Every MOOYAH restaurant in the country is holding the same giveaway as the one located in Provo. MOOYAH is known for its family-friendly environment.
“Provo is primarily a family town. … We like how (MOOYAH) resonates with the community. It’s family friendly. We don’t serve beer, we don’t serve alcohol, and that’s nationwide,” said Nielsen. “We want something (parents) feel good bringing their kids too.”
MOOYAH is also a popular place for college students. BYU students Carissa Earl, Matthew Dembinski and Devin Earl were the 64th transaction at MOOYAH, having left campus — two of them skipping class — in order to be within the 100th transaction.
The three students waited an hour in line to order their food. They said the line stretched out and around the building when they arrived at 11:10 am, 10 minutes after MOOYAH opened.
“It’s worth it. It’s so worth it,” said Earl, a junior studying physiology and developmental biology.
Individuals who were within the first 11 transactions received 52 free fries cards that are redeemable at anytime. The free T-Shirts read “Fresh Hot Buns” on the back in big red letters. Dembinski was already wearing the new T-Shirt while eating his burger.
“The shirt alone is worth it,” said Dembinski.
Earl said she had never been to MOOYAH but a friend in her chemistry class told her about the promotion. She plans on continuing to eat at MOOYAH — especially because she gets free fries.
MOOYAH will be opening another restaurant in Utah within the next year. It now has an app that people can use to order meals in advance.