Moe’s Southwest Grill eyes overseas expansion. Here’s where they’re headed.
Credit: Source: GoTo Foods
A burrito restaurant born in Buckhead 25 years ago is set to morph and expand across the globe.
Atlanta-based fast casual restaurant giant GoTo Foods is launching an international version of Moe’s Southwest Grill, a chain known for its signature “Welcome to Moe’s!” greeting.
The international concept is called Moe’s Casa Mexicana. It shifts away from the restaurant’s Southwestern vibe with “a clearly Mexican identity — in name, menu and guest experience,” GoTo Foods CEO Jim Holthouser said in prepared comments to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Moe’s Casa Mexicana will launch in India with 45 planned locations through a development agreement with franchisee Unify Foodworks. The first restaurant is expected to open this year in the capital city of New Delhi. The rest could roll out by 2033.
Holthouser said the concept can be adapted to regional preferences, with “scalable spice levels and flexible restaurant formats.” Unlike its American counterpart, the menu will include margaritas and protein offerings such as paneer, a cheese common in Indian cooking.
Credit: sou
GoTo Foods says it’s trying to tap the fast growth of the global Mexican food market, which the company said was valued at nearly $320 billion in 2024. One-third of global consumers would order Mexican cuisine at least once every 90 days if offered, according to February 2024 data from market research firm Technomic.
“This remains a highly underrepresented category internationally, and we see significant whitespace for growth,” Holthouser said.
For decades, U.S. restaurant franchises have expanded internationally as a growth strategy. Pizza Hut, for example, has been in India since the 1990s.
GoTo Foods — parent company of other food service brands including Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s — says about 60% of its development pipeline is now focused outside the U.S.
In 2024, GoTo Foods said it signed 599 agreements internationally, the company told the AJC earlier this year, and about a third of the company’s annual sales came internationally.
“While other fast-casual Mexican brands are just beginning to reattempt global expansion, we’ve already scaled brands like Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s to more than 65 countries and territories,” Holthouser said.
With Moe’s Casa Mexicana, GoTo Foods is targeting other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, said Dave Mikita, president of international and retail channels.
Moe’s Southwest Grill got its start in Atlanta, with the first restaurant opening in 2000 on Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Its name originated as an acronym for “Musicians, Outlaws and Entertainers.”
Focus Brands, the previous name of GoTo Foods, acquired Moe’s Southwest Grill in 2007. There are now more than 500 restaurants across the U.S., including 82 in Georgia.
The original Moe’s concept has scaled internationally in the past. Now, there is a “purpose-built” model for expansion, Mikita said.
“By simplifying operations, offering flexible formats and tailoring menus to local tastes, we’ve created a model that’s positioned for long-term growth in global markets,” Mikita said.
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