Many local residents are big fans of the delicious Mexican-style cuisine and cozy atmosphere afforded by Moe’s Southwest Grill of Long Island at their 15 – soon to be 16 – locations, but one thing they may not be as familiar with is the chain’s dedication to giving back to the communities they serve with a variety of charitable endeavors.
Moe’s of Long Island is a franchise chain consisting of 15 stores in Nassau and Suffolk Counties that are co-owned by Ryan Monahan, a local who grew up in Lynbrook and became a Moe's franchisee in his 20’s along with his cousin.
Due to the success that he has enjoyed with Moe’s, Monahan feels that it is vital to “pay it forward” to the community that has supported him over the years, and to help the less fortunate by not only engaging in a variety of fundraising efforts, but to invite schools and non-profits to team up with Moe’s for their own individual fund drives as well, according to Erik Boe, Marketing Director of Moe’s Long Island.
"One of my favorite parts of my job is the connections and relationships built within our Long Island communities,” he said. “Whether it’s attending a walk in someone’s honor, attending a local school event, or providing food and assistance to local charities and organizations. I always leave with a big smile on my face knowing I work for a company who values helping others in the community.”
.Angels of Long Island.
Moe’s fundraising takes several distinct forms, the first being their “Burritos for Angels” program, where the chain provides free food to “heroes” from local 501c3 charities and schools who, in turn, are already helping to feed the less fortunate. The reason for this, Monahan noted, is that people tend to forget the selfless individuals are working tirelessly to help the underprivileged, a situation that he felt was vital to remedy.
Organizations whose charitable workers have benefitted from Moe’s “Burritos for Angles” program include Habitat for Humanity while they were building low-cost housing in Suffolk County, in addition to EAC, Angels of Long Island, and MADD. Moe’s workers will bring many of their tasty menu items – absolutely free of charge – to these individuals wherever it is that they are working, keeping both their energy levels and spirits up while they continue to altruistically help others, Boe said.
“The conversations and stories shared about the impact the organization has, is truly remarkable and motivates you to do more to help,” he said. “It is remarkable to see the time and effort each organization puts in to help not only their community but Long Island itself. The helpers are truly inspirational and it gives such a humbling experience to help serve them.”
Another way that Moe’s is giving back is by holding guacamole classes for Girl Scout troops in order to help them earn merit badges. This class combines the experience of learning how to prepare a healthy and delicious dish – that the girls then actually get to eat and enjoy – along with the benefits of earning their badges in order to help advance their scouting rank as well.
MADD (July 12, 2022).
“Since we started this program in February this year we have had over 45 classes!” Boe said. “Each time the feedback from the troop leaders is always positive and ends with a ‘can’t wait to do it again!’ The smiles and the laughter from scouts help confirm that the experience was fun and enjoyable.”
Also, Moe’s is proud to offer their “Love Living Local” social media outreach program, which helps to highlight the things that make Long Island the great place to live that it is, such as bringing awareness to all of the wonderful things that happen in its local communities.
And finally, Moe’s has been an avid partner with many schools and universities across Long Island, and has been deeply involved in many of their own individual fundraising efforts over the years, Boe said.
“At Moe’s we look forward to hosting your community’s non for profit organizations' desire to raise money for their event or organizational need. Currently we host In-Store Fundraisers on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays,” he said. “After a date is selected and confirmed, we would create a flier which the organization would then distribute to their friends and family. On the day of the In-Store Fundraiser, we will donate 35 percent of the sales back to your organization from anyone who comes in with that flier. The flier can be presented on paper or with a picture of it on their phone. If ordering online and want to be a part of the fundraiser, you can let us know in the notes section that it is for your organization’s fundraiser.”
How this works is if a school – such as Stony Brook or Hofstra University – or a 501c3 has an upcoming fundraiser and they reach out to Moe’s, the chain will gladly provide food to be served at the event at cost; however much above that cost that the school wishes to charge attendees of the fundraiser is up to them, and the school keeps the difference.
EAC (April 14th, 2022).
And if a given school lacks a venue – either on-campus or off – in which to hold their charity event, a Moe’s location can and will be more than happy to step up to help, donating a portion of the day’s proceeds to the cause. Online-based fundraisers are also an option, and Moe’s have also been an avid sponsor of several local Long Island-based sports teams as well.
“We like to put the FUN in fundraisers!” Boe said. “The best part of the in-store fundraisers is not only the delicious meal you get to enjoy but the enjoyment of your meal with your family and friends all while helping your organization.”
“Whether you want to enjoy a night in or a night out with friends and family, you can still help your organization all while enjoying a delicious meal,” Boe added.
Last year, Moe’s of Long Island gave away over $230,000 in meals to various causes, something else that the chain and its owners are very proud of.
As for all-new developments concerning Moe’s itself, the entire chain is in the process of updating and renovating the majority of their existing 15 Long Island stores, with their East Meadow, Garden City and Oceanside locations already having received major makeovers with a whole new look and feel. In addition, Moe’s is gearing up for the grand opening of their 16th location in West Babylon – which is expected to open their doors to customers in late September – along with eventual plans to branch out into New Jersey in the near future.
Monahan and his cousin said that Moe’s Southwest Grill of Long Island is only too happy to work to better the communities that their restaurants have served over the years, and they hope to continue to express their appreciation for the customers that have supported the business for many years to come.
“We’re both from Long Island, and we want everyone to know that we both still call it home,” he said. “We both raised our kids here, and it’s important for us to uplift the community around us.”