Anton Ademi cuts the ribbon on Moe’s Southwest Grill during a ceremony Friday.
Waylon O’Donnell | Daily Journal
A former Franklin Tex-Mex restaurant is back under new ownership.
Franklin officials and Moe’s Southwest Grill gathered Friday to cut the ribbon on their new location at 2151 N. Morton St.
The owners of this new Moe’s franchise want everyone to know their restaurant is not affiliated with the old owner. People on social media have questioned the cleanliness of the new restaurant based on the previous owner’s multiple health violations. At one point, the restaurant had been forced to close completely to address the violations.
“We are not the same as the previous Moe’s owner,” said co-owner Florim Ademi in a social media post. “I have heard some of the stories from people here in town and I can assure everyone that will not be occurring at our restaurant. I hope you give Moe’s another shot.”
The new Moe’s is now open on the former site of Fazoli’s, while Noble Wine and Spirits is now open on the site of the old Moe’s.
Amedi co-owns the restaurant with her son Anton Ademi, who has been working in his family’s restaurant, the Royal Oak in Rensselaer, Indiana since he was 12 years old. Anton Ademi first developed an affection for Moe’s while he attended college in Bloomington.
Upon acquiring the right to franchise a Moe’s from the brand, the family determined Franklin was an ideal location, Anton Ademi said.
“We’re so excited,” Anton Ademi said. “Everybody that has given us a try has loved how clean and friendly we are. The food is good and we stick to the recipe. I love Moe’s and so far, the people have as well.”
The Ademis made a splash on the first day; giving free burritos for a year to the first 100 people in line when the restaurant opened on Jan. 19. Because of the restaurant’s history in Franklin — even with the promise of free food — they were not sure how the promotion was going to be publicly received.
“It was the snowiest and coldest day of the year so far,” Anton Ademi said. “We were at the restaurant since 7 a.m., and at 9 o’clock we saw people starting to line up. It made us feel like we made the right choice coming to Franklin.”
The team handed out business cards with a number on them that acted as a placeholder so that the promotion participants did not have to wait in the cold for the restaurant to open. Winners are entitled to one free burrito or bowl each week for 52 consecutive weeks, he said.
Ademi expressed gratitude to people attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony and said he hopes the community will give Moe’s another chance.
“This Moe’s is completely different,” Anton Ademi said. “We had nothing to do with the previous ownership. It is me and my family now; family owned and family ran. We know we’ve got a little bit of an uphill battle, but it has been great so far.”
Moe’s Southwest Grill is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Moe’s offers multiple options to order: drive-thru, online, mobile app or inside at the counter.
The restaurant is offering a couple of promotions right now. People who download the Moe’s app can also get a burrito and a drink for $8.99 on Mondays. Children 12 and under also eat free on Sundays.
