Mooyah restaurant closes

Less than two years after opening its first metro Milwaukee restaurant at Brookfield Square as part of a plan to move into the area and expand, Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes has shut down the Brookfield location.

In addition, the Plano, Texas-based hamburger chain hasn’t followed through on plans for a second area location in Menomonee Falls. The only two Wisconsin restaurants listed on Mooyah’s website are in Madison and Fitchburg.

Mooyah, which describes itself as a “fast-casual better burger chain,” opened next to Sears in redeveloped space on the outside of Brookfield Square in late 2015.

In late 2013, when it announced plans to come into metro Milwaukee at the Brookfield location, the company said in a news release it expected to expand here.

Mooyah local franchisee Punit Jaiswal couldn’t be reached for comment and a call to Mooyah’s corporate office in Texas wasn’t immediately returned. The mall’s general manager was not available for comment.

Brookfield Mayor Steven Ponto said he didn’t know why Mooyah had closed. Other relatively new restaurants located at Brookfield Square, like Blackfinn Ameripub and Jason’s Deli, seem to be doing well, he said.

But the shopping center added a new Chickfil-A near Mooyah this year, and Red Robin, which bills itself as a “gourmet” hamburger restaurant, has been located at Brookfield Square for about seven years.

“It would be speculation on my part, but I think there is tremendous competition at Brookfield Square,” Ponto said. “I’m not really sure what happened with Mooyah Burgers.”

Ponto said that in connection with plans by Marcus Theaters Corp. and mall operator CBL & Associates Properties Inc. to build a BistroPlex movie theater at Brookfield Square, the space formerly occupied by Mooyah is to be expanded.