Step into a Moe’s Southwestern Grill and employees will shout their signature phrase, “Welcome to Moe’s!” But as Moe’s prepares to open a franchise on Ninth Street on Oct. 23, its next-door neighbor Chipotle might not be so welcoming.
Moe’s, privately held by the Atlanta-based FOCUS Group, has over 500 stores nationwide, according to the company website, but is a new competitor in Missouri’s market. Jeff Offutt, who also owns Five Guys Burgers and Subway franchises in Columbia, has plans to open several Moe’s franchises across the state.
The Columbia location at 304 Ninth St. is next door to Chipotle, the fast-casual giant that has built a cult-like following with monster burritos and fresh ingredients. Its company has grown exponentially and seems set to make record gains in the third quarter of 2014, according to Yahoo Finance.
Marty Matthews, Moe’s assistant manager, is a former Chipotle employee. He said he isn’t nervous about the business being right next door.
“I believe we’re the closest Moe’s to a Chipotle in the country,” he said. “But we’re not worried. We’re different. We’re here to run our business and hopefully make a living at it.”
General Manager Alena Holcomb and Matthews both said that Moe’s does have a similar menu to Chipotle. But while Chipotle touts its Food with Integrity campaign — its stores’ commitment to sourcing organic produce when possible and preparing all food fresh — Holcomb and Matthews pointed to the wider variety on Moe’s menu.
“We like to believe it’s a little more family-friendly and health-conscious with kids’ meals and smaller portions and vegetarian options,” Matthews said. “Also, we don’t have any freezers or microwaves. We make everything fresh. It’s just good, clean food.”
“Between us two, Moe’s and Chipotle, it will be a good neighborhood fix,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb and Matthews said they have big plans for their opening day. The store will offer a punchcard worth 52 free burritos to the first 100 people through the door and various promotions throughout the week. Holcomb said she is excited about the store’s layout for online order pickups and hopes to launch catering.
Matthews said he hopes to attract similar customers to those who line up outside Chipotle’s door at lunchtime. He said he hasn’t checked Chipotle’s prices, but he thinks Moe’s prices will probably be lower, and he believes students and downtown employees will find that attractive.
“Hopefully our atmosphere will be exciting, and we’ll radiate that out to the university,” Matthews said. “I think students will be attracted by our variety and obviously they’re pretty dollar-conscious. And for faculty as well — money only goes so far.”
But new online ordering systems, promotions and low prices are effective only if customers come.
Columbia has had a Moe’s before, on the very same block. The restaurant, located in the space that is now Ingredient and owned by a different franchisee, RJ Williams, closed in 2008.
Matthews and Holcomb didn’t know the story behind the restaurant’s failure but said the time was ripe for another try.
“Moe’s menu has changed quite a bit since then,” Matthews said. “They’ve gotten much better at what they do, and they’re in a much better position to stay in business near a competitor like Chipotle.”
However, the competition might not change all students’ minds.
“I haven’t been to a Moe’s for a really long time,” graduate student Ryan Betz said. “I go to Chipotle about once a month. I like Chipotle’s quality of ingredients. So, if I were to try Moe’s, it would depend on the quality of the ingredients.”
Customers will love the atmosphere of Moe’s, Holcomb said.
“Who doesn’t love a good burrito, and who doesn’t like a nice side of chips and salsa?” Holcomb said. “At Moe’s the customer gets to be the own artist of their food, and that’s kind of exciting.”
The Chipotle franchise on Ninth Street did not respond to requests for an interview.
