Moe's Southwest Grill, the lead brand in the Raving Brands portfolio, sounds like a political candidate more than the fastest growing Restaurant concept in the Fresh Mex category. Everywhere it goes, people come out and rave about it, be it consumers on the street or franchisees who want to be a part of its winning campaign. And like Senators John Kerry and John Edwards, Moe's is covering some real territory as it expands its footprint in the ultimate pursuit of the number one spot in the Fresh Mex category, ahead of original leaders Chipotle and Baja Fresh.

Moe's is putting up the biggest numbers in Michigan where Kirk and Rod Roell signed up for 10 in Detroit. Jim Studrawa will add to the Michigan campaign with three of his own as will Bob and Norman Mourad with three in Ann Arbor. Raving Moe's franchisee Tracey Priest, who currently owns stores in Florida, has signed up for five more stores in the great state of Indiana. Ted Tronnes has plans for three in Kansas City, Missouri while Paul Murfin will add three in St. Louis.

" We absolutely believe we have a winner in Moe's against the other candidates' in the category," explains Matt Andrew, Vice President, Raving Brands, parent of Moe's Southwest Grill.

Franchisees continue to respond enthusiastically to the Franchising model that remains one of the most financially attractive in the industry. Additionally, they are seeing the success Moe's is having in its existing markets where it recently opened its 114th restaurant. "I couldn't be a bigger supporter of Moe's," explains Tracey Priest, who owns Moe's in Destin, Florida. The Moe's concept is becoming a nationally recognized brand after only three years. I think this is a particularly strong time to break ground on new territory."

Since the beginning, Moe's has staked its reputation on appealing to a more health-interested public. It's absolutely against the use of freezers or microwaves. It believes the only way to prepare food is to make it fresh daily. Moe's also feels strongly about a consumer's right to choose. Moe's offers burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads with a choice of grilled tofu, chicken or steak. Moe's also offers a few vegetarian items, a kid's meal and adult beverages.

About Moe's Southwest Grill
Moe's Southwest Grill offers fun, fresh, southwest cuisine with a healthy twist. The Atlanta-based company was founded by Martin Sprock in December 2000 and currently has 114 restaurants in operation. Sprock, a runner-up in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, successfully launched Planet Smoothie in 1995 and currently has more than 130 stores in 22 states. His latest concept, a quick casual Pan-Asian restaurant called Mama Fu's opened early June in Atlanta and has 205 units sold. Greeted with a trademark "Welcome to Moe's" cheer that sets the tone for a lighthearted experience in each store, Moe's is quickly becoming the southwest concept to watch with a total of 700 more Franchise units scheduled for 38 states.