The College of William and Mary Real Estate Foundation announced Friday that the hamburger restaurant Mooyah will round out Tribe Square’s roster, taking up the fourth and final space in the mixed-use space alongside The Crust, Pita Pit and Subway Café.
The menu at Mooyah is simple: burgers, fries and milkshakes.
“With its focus on burgers and fries, Mooyah is a wonderful complement to the restaurants already scheduled to be part of Tribe Square,” William and Mary Real Estate Foundation Executive Director Nancy Buchanan said. “We think the students and the rest of the community will really enjoy having all of these new late-night dining options in town.”
Students say the location is convenient.
“It will be great to have another late-night dining option so close to campus,” Will Hanes ’13 said.
Others say they are pleased with the announcement, but wish for more diversity among Tribe Square restaurants.
“I saw the name, it was funny. It’s like a burger place,” Steven Linett ’12 said. “[But] I wish we had a locally-owned business with more sustainable business practices.”
Mooyah’s hamburgers are made to order, and the buns and fries are made in-house daily.
“What really sets us apart is that we bake our buns— white and wheat — in house every few hours,” Tribe Square Mooyah franchisee P2 Sandhu said. “Because of that, we feel like we offer more healthful options.”
For those looking to branch out from the typical hamburger, Mooyah offers both turkey and veggie burger options.
Customers will be very involved in the cooking process, Sandhu said.
“You can walk down the kitchen line and watch your food being prepared — literally right in front of you,” he said.
Customers also have the option to place their orders online or via text message.
“I’m excited about the idea of texting in my order, it’s cool to see a company so in touch with our wireless generation,” Gareth Bromser-Kloeden ’13 said.
As with the other Tribe Square restaurants, Mooyah sports prices for the college student on a budget, although William and Mary students will not be able to use flex points on their purchase.
“These restaurants will not be part of the meal plan — so that will not include flex — but we are encouraging the restaurants to be part of the William and Mary express card,” Buchanan said.
The Tribe Square location is both the first college-based Mooyah restaurant and the first in the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia area for the Texas-based chain.
As per its lease agreement, Mooyah will be open until 1 a.m. or later, as will the rest of its Tribe Square neighbors.
The William and Mary Real Estate Foundation will hold a dedication of the building Thursday, October 20 at 6:15 p.m.
Mooyah is scheduled to open in January or February of next year, Buchanan said.
The Crust, a subsidiary of The Baker’s Crust, opened its doors Monday, serving students wood-fired pizza and microbrews, along with other menu items. Subway Café is scheduled to open in mid-November, while the Pita Pit is slated for a December/January timeframe.
Tribe Square was completed this summer and is home to four retail spaces on the ground floor with student residences located on the second and third. The 56-bed, suite-style living space was filled when it opened this August.