Founded in 2000, Moe’s has just over 600 locations in 47 states. The Atlanta-based chain offers build-your-own burritos, bowls, quesadillas, tacos, nachos and salads.
Tony Mangat arrived in the United States in 1992 with $20 in his pocket. With determination and a fearless work ethic, the 22-year-old Indian immigrant went on to build a trucking, real estate and construction empire that generates hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.
Mangat, who started his journey in the U.S. driving trucks for a living, is now focused on diversifying his business portfolio. He’s teamed with his 21-year-old son, Namit Mangat, as franchisees of Moe’s Southwestern Grill.
The Mangats inked a five-unit deal with Moe’s to bring the fast-casual Mexican chain back to Arizona. They signed a pair of leases in the suburban Phoenix towns of Goodyear and Happy Valley and expect to open their first restaurant in the next few months.
Namit Mangat said their Goodyear unit will be co-branded with ice cream concept Carvel, while a location coming later in Peoria, Arizona, will be co-branded with Cinnabon. All three brands are part of GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), which also owns Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s Bakery Cafe.
The father-son team of Tony, right, and Namit Mangat inked a five-unit deal with Moe’s Southwestern Grill in their home state of Arizona.
Founded in 2000, Moe’s has just over 600 locations in 47 states. The Atlanta-based chain offers build-your-own burritos, bowls, quesadillas, tacos, nachos and salads. It’s working with the Mangats to restart development in Arizona after the brand closed all its locations in the state in the 2010s. The brand continues to work on a major transformation effort underway since 2022.
“I’m very excited to do this with my son,” Tony Mangat said. “I’ve had a great journey and now it’s time for him to have his.”
The plan is to have Namit Mangat, a student at Arizona State University, manage the day-to-day operations for their restaurants while his father oversees real estate site selection, construction and the finances.
Being first-time restaurateurs and franchisees, the Mangats know they’re facing a big learning curve. But that doesn’t seem to faze them.
“Running a restaurant is new to us, but I feel I’m ready having worked in my father’s trucking company the last two-and-a-half years,” Namit Mangat said.
Asked what he’s learned from his father on how to run a successful business, the younger Mangat said, “Be honest with employees and if you make a mistake own up to it. You treat them like family. Everything in business runs on relationships and loyalty, and that is how we plan to run” our restaurant business.
Namit Mangat admitted he has a lot on his plate. Along with finishing up his college classes, he’s also training for the 2028 Olympics in field hockey, a sport his father introduced him to at an early age. Mangat is on the Junior U.S. Men’s National Team, whose international schedule runs through November.
Tony Mangat said he’s confident his son can juggle his busy schedule.
“It doesn’t get harder than working in the trucking business. It’s a very challenging. Namit’s been through all that, basically running the trucking company and managing the people the last few years. I know he’s ready for this,” Tony Mangat said. “I told him he can do anything in this world. if you put everything into what you do and treat people right you will be successful.”
The founder and CEO of Glendale, Arizona-based Mangat Group speaks from experience. He oversees a fleet of 50 commercial trucks that generates between $30 million and $50 million in revenue. He also owns about $200 million in land investments that cover about 1,000 acres in the Phoenix area. A construction business, which was launched in April, already has completed over $10 million in projects, he said.
In June, Mangat also launched a storage business in Phoenix. Last year, he started a truck driver training and certification school.
With Moe’s, Mangat said he signed the franchise agreement after being assured by the brand’s development team that he could increase the base pay for his restaurant employees and still make a profit. Average unit volume for Moe’s franchise units in 2023 was $1.2 million.
“The first thing I ask them on day one is can we pay our people $2 or $3 more than the other fast-food people and still have some money left. They said, yes, it is. That was important for us because we just don’t want to run a restaurant,” Mangat said. “We want to create good paying jobs in our communities.”