Posted 9:19 pm Sunday, August 19, 2012
Send to Kindle
Mama Fu's chain looking to 'wok' into Tyler
By Casey Murphy
cmurphy@tylerpaper.com
Randy Murphy is looking to expand his Austin-based Mama Fu’s franchise into Tyler and East Texas.
cmurphy@tylerpaper.com
Randy Murphy is looking to expand his Austin-based Mama Fu’s franchise into Tyler and East Texas.
Murphy, 41, worked in high tech for years before returning to the restaurant business. While attending The University of Texas at Austin, he got it in his blood, he said.
Murphy was a franchisee of Mama Fu’s in the Austin market before acquiring the business from Raving Brands in 2008. The chain was started in 2003.
Murphy partnered with others to acquire the chain and brought in Stephen MacManus to be chief operating officer. He said they retooled just about every aspect of the brand and started franchising it again in 2010. Their strategy is to grow the business with multiunit restaurant owners, he said.
Mama Fu’s is a Pan-Asian concept, offering Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese menu options. The food is fresh and made-to-order, and the restaurant offers dine in, take out, delivery and catering, he said. It also offers a “flex-casual” concept. During the day it is fast casual dining, where customers place their order at the counter, and is full-service with a wait staff in the evening.
There are 13 Mama Fu’s locations, mostly in Texas, but also in Arkansas, Florida and North Carolina. Murphy plans to grow the brand significantly in Texas, as well as Ohio, New Mexico and Louisiana.
His five-year goal is to have about 140 stores, with the highest concentration being in Texas and the Southwest, he said.
Murphy said there are only a few markets left in Texas, and one of those is Northeast Texas, including the Tyler area. He wants one person to become a franchisee for the East Texas region and open four or five stores in the Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas.
Why Tyler?
Murphy said Mama Fu’s outlets have done well in smaller markets, and they want to “build out our back yard,” since they are based in Austin. He said Tyler and East Texas have a good economy for franchise concepts.
Murphy partnered with others to acquire the chain and brought in Stephen MacManus to be chief operating officer. He said they retooled just about every aspect of the brand and started franchising it again in 2010. Their strategy is to grow the business with multiunit restaurant owners, he said.
Mama Fu’s is a Pan-Asian concept, offering Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese menu options. The food is fresh and made-to-order, and the restaurant offers dine in, take out, delivery and catering, he said. It also offers a “flex-casual” concept. During the day it is fast casual dining, where customers place their order at the counter, and is full-service with a wait staff in the evening.
There are 13 Mama Fu’s locations, mostly in Texas, but also in Arkansas, Florida and North Carolina. Murphy plans to grow the brand significantly in Texas, as well as Ohio, New Mexico and Louisiana.
His five-year goal is to have about 140 stores, with the highest concentration being in Texas and the Southwest, he said.
Murphy said there are only a few markets left in Texas, and one of those is Northeast Texas, including the Tyler area. He wants one person to become a franchisee for the East Texas region and open four or five stores in the Tyler, Longview, Texarkana, Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas.
Why Tyler?
Murphy said Mama Fu’s outlets have done well in smaller markets, and they want to “build out our back yard,” since they are based in Austin. He said Tyler and East Texas have a good economy for franchise concepts.
Mama Fu’s typically employs about 35 people per restaurant, and it takes about $600,000 for a franchisee to open a location, including a $28,000 franchise fee and building a 2,500-square-foot restaurant that seats 80 to 85 guests..
He said he has seen interest in the chain in the Tyler area in the last two years.
“We definitely think our brand can fit that area well,” he said, adding that it is a natural development for the chain to move into East Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
People interested in becoming a franchisee of Mama Fu’s can contact Randy Murphy at 512-949-3221 or randy@mamafus.com.
He said he has seen interest in the chain in the Tyler area in the last two years.
“We definitely think our brand can fit that area well,” he said, adding that it is a natural development for the chain to move into East Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
People interested in becoming a franchisee of Mama Fu’s can contact Randy Murphy at 512-949-3221 or randy@mamafus.com.
