Moe’s tries again in the Valley

Atlanta-based Moe’s Southwest Grill, a casual food chain serving Mexican dishes with a southern twist, opened a store in Goodyear on Dec. 13. It marked its first Arizona location since its Tempe location shuttered in 2010.

Located at PebbleCreek Marketplace (15611 W. McDowell Road), the newest Moe’s Southwest Grill is the first of five planned franchise locations by local father-son team Tony and Namit Mangat.

The menu of Moe’s — the name standing for “Museums, Outlaws and Entertainers” — features burritos, bowls, nachos, tacos, salads and quesadillas, each item customizable with rice, meat and toppings. With more than 650 locations across 40 states, the chain was founded in 2000 and began franchising a year later.

The Mangat family partnered with GoTo Foods, the parent company of Moe’s Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon and McAlister’s Deli, to franchise the location. An immigrant from India, Tony arrived in Arizona three decades ago at the age of 22. He is the founder and CEO of Mangat Group, based in Glendale, and has built a tracking, real estate and construction empire, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. It will be open for lunch and dinner daily.

While Tony and Namit are co-franchise owners, the latter will be on the ground daily as the restaurant’s manager. Though 21 years old, the ASU student brings abundant experience from various industries. His father put him to work at 15 years old at a family-owned store, after which he joined the trucking business and commercial real estate, where he took on leadership roles early.

“I’ve been blessed with my father. He’s been a tremendous role model in my life. As soon as I started high school, he started putting me to work, and ever since, he has taught me the value of money, how to save up, and I’ve been able to come to this point,” Namit said.

This will be the pair’s first jump into the franchise business, but Namit says he is ready for the leap.

“(My dad’s) done every basically everything besides this, and I just wanted to do my own thing. This is the one thing he never ventured into. I thought I’d take a chance,” he said.

Alongside his professional and educational careers, Namit also trains for the 2028 Olympics in field hockey. At the store’s grand opening, he worked to prepare people’s orders and greet customers, roles he will take on daily now at the restaurant. Several attendees left the restaurant with their food and free merchandise, spinning a prize wheel for prizes. A lucky 50 people, the first in line, received free burritos for a year.

“You always dream of it — helping people. That’s kind of how I was raised, always looking to help people,” Namit said.

Tony and Namit plan to open their second location, complete with a Cinnabon Swirl, in Peoria, by summer next year, though the exact location is not confirmed. Another location is planned in Tempe.

Moe’s Southwest Grill
PebbleCreek Marketplace
15611 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear