Desert Moon featured in Nation's Restaurant News

Nation’s Restaurant News Reporter Mark Brandau researched the scoop on how Desert Moon tackles Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that came to be because Mexico was victorious over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In America, Americans have embraced the holiday as a time to celebrate with Mexican food, margaritas and mariachi bands. Desert Moon throws its own bash and hopes to capture more than a few new guests too. Read more about how Desert Moon gears up for the big day here!

Restaurants gear up for Cinco de Mayo
By Mark Brandau

Fred Kirvan, president of the eight-unit fast-casual chain Desert Moon Fresh Mexican Grille, equates Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday celebrating the country’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, with another American day of retail and restaurant excess.

“Cinco de Mayo is our Black Friday,” he said of May 5, which he called “the only day all year when all people are thinking about Mexican food.”

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Franchisee Profile: Purvang Patel of Franklin Park, NJ

Location: Franklin Park, NJ/ lives in Piscataway

In 1988, Purvang Patel emigrated from India with his family when he was just nine years old. They came to the United States to find better opportunities. Decades later, Purvang has achieved business ownership through Desert Moon. He, along with his two friends and business partners Mital and Tejas, opened their first location in October 2010.

Q: Before Franchising, what were you involved with?
A: After college graduation, I went into the IT field. I worked in IT for about six years before I started looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity where I could work for myself. You could say that I am always looking for the next best opportunity. It’s ingrained in me. I am good at IT, but really wanted to do something that had unlimited growth potential and, ultimately, I decided that was by owning my own business. I landed on franchising because of the brand recognition you get through a national franchise. Purvang’s Mexican Restaurant doesn’t mean as much as Desert Moon. I believe that people will come to my location based on the name itself.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: A good friend of mine owns a Desert Moon location in a nearby city. I experienced the food there and loved it. You know right when you taste it that the food is better than anywhere else. The freshness and quality is unrivaled. In addition, the Mexican fast casual dining segment is growing tenfold and I thought that fact alone would give me ammunition to continue growing, especially since the ingredients at Desert Moon are extremely healthy. You can make many meals at our restaurant for less than 500 calories.

Q: What have been some career milestones for you/your business?
A: We are concentrating on getting our first location settled here in Franklin Park. We are spreading the word among our friends and residents in close proximity to our location. We are going to be getting heavily involved in the community as well through school programs, fundraisers, etc. We want our community to know that we are committed to being a community partner.