Moe's Southwest Grill, referred to informally as Moe's, is an American fast casual restaurant franchise chain that was founded in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, on December 9, 2000,FOCUS Brands press release,
FOCUS Brands to Acquire Moe’s Southwest Grill
', April 11, 2007 by Raving Brands. The name "Moe's" originated as an acronym for "Musicians, Outlaws and Entertainers", and this theme led to the music-related artwork found in the original design. Moe's Southwest Grill—together with Schlotzsky's, Carvel, Cinnabon,

McAlister's Deli McAlister's Deli is an American chain of fast casual restaurants founded in 1989 in Oxford Mississippi, by retired dentist Don Newcomb. There are currently over 500 locations in 29 states. The menu includes deli sandwiches, "giant spuds" (ba ...

, Jamba and

Auntie Anne's Auntie Anne's is an American franchised chain of pretzel shops founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages. They also offer Pretzels & More Homemade Baking Mix ...

brands—is part of the GoTo Foods portfolio of brands. The restaurant chain originally featured artwork depicting deceased music legends and licensed a special rock soundtrack from

Muzak Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments owned by Mood Media. The name ''Muzak'', a blend of music and the popular camera brand name Kodak, has been in use since 1934 and has been ...

that consisted of music from deceased musicians or bands with a notable deceased musician. After a lawsuit from the estate of

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...

, depictions of actual people were removed from the decor. The menu, which initially featured puns based on people and popular phrases from music, television, and movies was revamped to remove nearly all phrases that may result in legal issues.

Fare

Moe's offers various types of food on its menu, including

burritos A burrito (, ) or burro in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. The term ''burrito'' was regional, specifically from Guanajuato, Guerr ...

tacos A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filli ...

, quesadillas,

nachos Nachos are a Tex-Mex dish consisting of tortilla chips or '' totopos'' covered with cheese or chile con queso, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken), vegetables ( ...

salads A salad is a Dish (food), dish consisting of mixed ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments called ''salad dressings'', which exist in a variety of ...

, stacks, burrito bowls, and house-made seasonal salsas. Ingredients can be added or subtracted from the standard entree for customization. Every order comes with chips and salsa on the side.

International locations

Moe's no longer franchises any locations outside the United States. In 2011, Moe's opened its first location outside the United States in Turkey. In September 2012, Moe's opened its first Russian franchise located in the center of Moscow near the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

on Pyatnitskaya Street. Franchise partners also existed in Costa Rica and Jamaica.Moe’s Southwest Grill Opens First Jamaican Location
moessouthwestgrill.wordpress.com, Retrieved July 18, 2014

References

External links

* {{Restaurants in Atlanta Cuisine of the Western United States Fast casual restaurants Fast-food Mexican restaurants Fast-food chains of the United States Fast-food franchises Restaurants in Georgia (U.S. state) 2000 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Restaurants established in 2000 Restaurants in Atlanta American companies established in 2000 2007 mergers and acquisitions