Moe's Southwest Grill Signs Master Franchise Deal in Guatemala and El Salvador

ATLANTA, Oct. 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Moe's Southwest Grill^(R), the fast-growing restaurant franchise best known for its flavorful southwest fare and distinct brand culture, has signed a master franchise agreement to develop several locations in Guatemala and El Salvador.

Under the agreement, 10 Moe's restaurants will be developed in the neighboring Central American countries over eight years, the first of which is slated to open in 2014 in Guatemala City.

This deal marks the brand's entry into these Central American countries and highlights the international demand for Moe's Southwest Grill. The first Moe's in Central America opened in Costa Rica in 2012.

"Moe's is thrilled to expand our footprint in Central America so we can introduce our flavorful, customizable menu items made from high-quality ingredients with the people of Guatemala and El Salvador," said Mike Shattuck, President of FOCUS Brands International, which handles overseas expansion for Moe's Southwest Grill. "International consumer demand for Moe's remains high and we're eager to partner with qualified franchisees to grow our presence and penetrate untapped markets."

Moe's Southwest Grill has enjoyed strong growth domestically, where it recently opened its 500^th location in New York City, as well as abroad with new market launches in Costa Rica and Russia in the past year. FOCUS Brands International also handles overseas expansion for Carvel^(R) Ice Cream, Cinnabon^(R), Schlotzsky's^(R) and Auntie Anne's^(R) Pretzels. The company expects to open more than 260 global units of all its franchise concepts during 2013. Key international target markets for Moe's development include Brazil, Egypt, India and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit www.moesfranchise.com.

About Moe's Southwest Grill(R)

Welcome to Moe's! Founded in 2000 in Atlanta, GA, Moe's Southwest Grill is a fast-casual restaurant franchise featuring fresh, handmade, customizable southwestern food in a welcoming environment that rocks. Moe's is committed to serving only the highest quality ingredients 100% of the time at our more than 500 locations in the U.S and abroad. While Moe's is best known for its burritos packed with a choice of more than 20 fresh, flavorful ingredients, the menu also features kid's, vegetarian and low-calorie options, all served with free chips and salsa. Check out Moe's online at www.moes.com.

Source: southwest - Yahoo News Search Results http://finance.yahoo.com/news/moes-southwest-grill-signs-master-141200497.html