Moe's Southwest Grill opens its first traditional restaurant in the Twin Cities market on September 4, placing a 2,605-square-foot unit at 6671 Valley Creek Road in Woodbury, Minn. The fast-casual Tex-Mex chain already serves travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, but the Woodbury opening marks its first freestanding community-facing location in the region — with a second site planned for Apple Valley.
The Franchisee Story
The Woodbury unit is owned and operated by Satnam Dhillon, a Twin Cities resident who spent his career advising global organizations on business and supply chain strategy before pivoting to restaurant entrepreneurship. Dhillon first encountered Moe's while traveling for work and became a repeat guest, drawn to the brand's customizable menu and energetic dining environment. That personal affinity eventually became a franchise investment. "Working with leading brands throughout my career taught me that lasting success comes from consistently delivering a great customer experience," Dhillon said. "Moe's has built a loyal following by combining fresh, customizable food with genuine hospitality and a fun, welcoming atmosphere."
Brand Strategy and Market Fit
For GoTo Foods, Moe's parent company, the Twin Cities entry reflects a broader push to plant the brand in markets where fast-casual southwestern fare has room to grow. Tatiana Lambert, Chief Development Officer at GoTo Foods, framed the opening as part of an active development agenda. "The Twin Cities area represents a dynamic, growing market with a strong appreciation for quality, customizable dining experiences, making it a natural fit for Moe's," Lambert said. "This opening marks an important step in our growth strategy and reflects the continued demand we're seeing for fresh flavors, convenience and hospitality-driven brands." As of June 28, 2026, Moe's operated more than 540 locations across 35 states and two countries and territories — a footprint that puts the Woodbury opening in the context of a system still actively filling geographic white space.
The unit is built to support multiple revenue channels: dine-in, takeout, third-party delivery, catering and digital ordering. That multi-channel approach aligns with broader fast-casual restaurant expansion trends that prioritize off-premise flexibility alongside in-store hospitality. The menu centers on customizable burritos, bowls, stacks, tacos, quesadillas and nachos — all made to order — with complimentary chips and salsa included.
Grand Opening Details
To drive trial at launch, Moe's Woodbury will host a grand opening celebration starting at 10:30 a.m. on September 4. The first 50 guests in line will receive "Burritos on Us for a Year" — one burrito per week for 52 consecutive weeks, redeemable through a free Moe's Rewards account at participating locations. Additional giveaways, including merchandise, free menu items and kids' meals, will be distributed via a prize wheel throughout the day. Grand-opening promotions of this scale have become a standard traffic-building tool in the fast-casual and franchise hospitality segment, helping new operators quickly establish a local guest base and seed loyalty program enrollment from day one.
For operators and franchise developers tracking regional white-space opportunities, the Woodbury opening — paired with the confirmed Apple Valley pipeline location — signals that GoTo Foods is executing a deliberate, multi-unit franchisee strategy in the Upper Midwest rather than a single-unit test.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
