Moe’s Southwest Grill, the fast-casual restaurant franchise best known for its fresh southwest fare served in a fun and engaging atmosphere, has signed a deal that will bring an additional 25 restaurants to the Washington D.C. metro area (Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia) — creating 500 new jobs — over the next six years. The deal is part of Moe’s strategic growth plan to nearly double its nationwide presence from 440 locations in 33 states today to a total of 800 locations by the end of 2015.

Leading the surge of Moe’s locations in the Washington area are three successful multi-unit franchisees of Moe’s.  Brad Chasteen owns 19 Moe’s in Northeast Florida; Steve Taylor owns 9 Moe’s throughout Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; while Frank Maresca, who will serve as the local operating partner for the group, owns two Moe’s restaurants in Northern Virginia. Under the trio’s newly formed entity, Guac N’ Roll, the group recently acquired 7 existing locations.

“Putting three of our most aggressive and smart franchise partners together in one market is really exciting,” said Moe’s President Paul Damico. “The fact that we have three best of class Moe’s operators behind these restaurants in D.C. is really going to make us stand out.”

Moe’s menu, consisting of fresh, made-to-order food with more than 20 flavorful ingredients, appeals to families and professionals, making the demographics of the Washington marketplace a perfect match for the Moe’s brand.

Although Moe’s is famous for its signature items like the Homewrecker burrito, Close Talker salad, and John Coctostan quesadilla (all served with free chips and salsa), the menu also features kids, vegetarian, and low-calorie options.