HuHot Mongolian Grill Franchise News

April 12, 2012 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT - HuHot Mongolian Grill, one of the country’s leading Mongolian Grill concepts, plans to open its doors in La Crosse, Wisconsin and Greenville, North Carolina. The La Crosse location will be the sixth HuHot location to open in Wisconsin and will slated to open on May 17. The Greenville location will be the first HuHot to venture into North Carolina and plans to open on April 26.
Matt Cory of TRICOR is opening the La Crosse location and he is hoping to build on the overwhelming success of his Rochester, Minnesota location. “The people of Wisconsin love HuHot, and they’re excited to see it come to La Crosse, especially families and college students” said Cory. He looks forward to seeing people embrace this new location in a state where people already know and love HuHot...

April 05, 2012 // Franchising.com // Missoula, Mont. – HuHot Mongolian Grill, a growing create-your-own stir-fry restaurant concept, has recently received over 100,000 likes on their Facebook page. HuHot has been invested in social media since Facebook first rolled out fan pages. Early on, the company’s CEO, Andy Vap saw the value in creating an online community, and has dedicated marketing resources to growing HuHot’s online presence. “Facebook is the largest social media outlet, we found it crucial to create a presence there, and we are extremely excited to see our fans reach such huge numbers,” says Vap. Since HuHot restaurants allow the guests to interact with every facet of the traditional restaurant process, it was natural to continue this successful interaction on Facebook...

March 28, 2012 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT - Time is ticking, so hurry to any of the 42 HuHot Mongolian Grill locations to try Dynamite Shrimp because they’re only available in April and May. This new limited time only appetizer is truly the bomb!
Dynamite Shrimp are wrapped in a thin wonton skin, lightly fried, and drizzled with a creamy dynamite sauce. To tame those sparks, there’s a sweet soy honey ginger sauce for dipping. “This is an appetizer for everyone,” says Jeff Martin, VP of Operations, “because it’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and packed with explosive flavor.”
Added to a robust line-up of up to six different appetizers that HuHot offers, Dynamite Shrimp will definitely be the one to add sparks to you meal...

HuHot Mongolian Grills Kicks Off Video Contest With Cash Prizes Interactive Marketing Strategy a Perfect Fit for Franchise Chain
March 12, 2012 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT—HuHot Mongolian Grills, a national franchise chain that makes a point of inviting patrons to “Feed Your Inner Warrior,” has launched a video contest this March with cash prizes.
“We’re inviting the public to submit original short videos about why your inner warrior loves HuHot,” says Stephanie Krause, marketing director of HuHot Mongolian Grills, LLC, a company with 42 locations in the Midwest and West.
“They can sing or dance or use animation, whatever works for them,” says Krause. First prize in the competition is $1,000; second prize is $200 cash plus a $200 gift card; and third prize is $100 plus a $100 gift card...

December 12, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT - For the third year, HuHot Mongolian Grill is rewarding its Facebook fans with a “Fire Sale” gift card deal for the holidays. At 10am MST on December 12, anyone who likes HuHot on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/huhot) has the opportunity to get a free $20 gift card with a $50 gift card purchase.
HuHot has 200 free $20 gift cards to give away, and last year they exhausted the inventory within 2 hours. This year, the restaurant company has increased Facebook fans more than 30% to over 94,000, so they anticipate the cards will run out even faster. “For the last few weeks we’ve had Facebook fans tell us that they’re holding out for the Fire Sale, so we think it will be a mad dash to place an order...

November 29, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT - With Asian restaurant concepts popping up across the United States, HuHot Mongolian Grill continues to stay focused and that means growth. During HuHot’s most recent planning session the new restaurant count anticipated for 2012 landed in the double digits.
Next year’s growth will include the conquering of North Carolina by Mike Treadwell, of Treadwell Enterprises, one of HuHot’s newest franchisees. Treadwell plans to open his first North Carolina HuHot in Greenville this spring and hopes for new HuHot openings quarterly in 2012.
Additional expansion for next year is in the works for in Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Utah. “Not only are new franchisees joining the system, our existing franchisees are opening additional restaurants as well...

A sweet new dessert and flaming hot sauce will tantalize your taste buds
October 28, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – With the transition to cooler weather, HuHot Mongolian Grills across the United States will be featuring two items that are sure to warm you up. The new Sauce of the Season, aptly named Khan’s Revenge, is HuHot’s hottest sauce on the line, and is sure to light a fire inside you to keep the cold at bay. For something that is more likely to warm the soul, guests can try Cookie Dough Conquest for dessert. Both delicious items are available starting November 1st.
Khan’s Revenge can attribute its spicy flavor to the habanero peppers added to this smoky sauce. For those who love that mouth-watering-heat in their food, this Sauce of the Season is ideal...

September 01, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – HuHot Mongolian Grill's annual "How Do You HuHot" Recipe Contest starts today with fun additions! All HuHot locations will be accepting recipes that fit specific categories through the end of the month, and winners have the chance to win travel-themed prizes.

Guests can choose from three categories to enter their recipes: Carnivores, Careful Eaters and Little Warriors. This levels the playing field for guests who, for example, pile on the sausage or have a dietary restriction, as well as allows our younger pillagers to enter the Little Warriors category. One winner will be chosen from each category at every local HuHot restaurant, and then those winners' recipes will go on to compete against each other for national recognition (and possibly fame)...

August 24, 2011 // Franchising.com // MISSOULA, MT – HuHot Mongolian Grill is rewarding its loyal guests with two exclusive offers this month. Facebook fans and HotClub email members have access to "Back to School" coupons for students to use through the end of the month. It's one last hoorah as kids return back to school.

One offer is for a free grill meal for kids ten and under with the purchase of an adult grill meal. The other offer is for 50% a grill meal for high school and college students that have identification. HuHot is segmenting the messages based on information provided via the HotClub email sign up sources. In doing so, HotClub members receive applicable targeted emails based on their demographic profile.

Consumer research done last year indicated that 75% of guests who visit HuHot more than once a month have three or more people in their household...

Try the newest summer flavor: Mongolian Sunburn(TM) June 30, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – With the summer heating up, there is no better way to enjoy the warmth of summer than with the newest Sauce of the Season. In July, HuHot Mongolian Grills across the United States will launch Mongolian Sunburn, ying and yang of sweet citrus flavors with a tangy and spicy kick, named by one of HuHot's own Facebook fans.

With its exciting flavor, all the new Sauce of the Season needed was a name to fit the taste. HuHot ran a month-long Facebook contest to give the fans the chance to both name the sauce and choose the winner. With over 400 name submissions, Mongolian Sunburn burned the competition with 2,100 votes. Not only did the fan get to name the sauce, but also was the first to taste it at their local HuHot...

June 06, 2011 // Franchising.com // MISSOULA, MT – June 2nd, 2011 Can you find HuHot's Genghis Khan logo hidden on the HuHot website? Each week this month, HuHot Mongolian Grill locations across the country are giving away prizes including gift cards, coupons and jogging lights to people who find the hidden Genghis head logo and tell their server the secret password that popped up when they clicked on the link.

HuHot-N-Seek is an online scavenger hunt for HuHot email club members, Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Each week during the month of June a new clue will be posted online that leads to the hidden logo. To receive a clue, guests will need to sign up for the HotClub or find HuHot on Facebook or follow @huhot on Twitter...

April 29, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – HuHot Mongolian Grill is holding a contest to let its Facebook fans decide the name for this summer's Sauce of the Season. Each quarter the create-your-own stir-fry concept unveils a new limited-time sauce available on the food bar such as the current offering, Thai Lemon Basil™. This week HuHot guests will have the opportunity to name next quarter's Asian orange sauce through a Facebook contest.

Consumers can submit sauce name entries starting today via the HuHot Mongolian Grill Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/huhot. Top sauce names that best communicate the flavor profile and HuHot brand will be selected, then fans will be allowed to vote for their favorite the following week...

Try fresh flavors of Spring with Thai Lemon Basil™ April 05, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – With the change from cold air and snowflakes to sunshine and budding flowers, now is the time to celebrate the flavors of Spring. HuHot Mongolian Grills across the United States launch the newest Sauce of the Season, Thai Lemon Basil, and it will only be available through the end of June.

Thai Lemon Basil will surprise you with bright flavors of citrus and fresh basil that's blended with spices to give you a taste of exotic Thailand. Mix with any of the 20+ sauces available to choose from every day or try our the following recipe that's mild yet tangy and sweet: Spring Chicken in Thailand Chicken Pad Thai Noodles Onions Bell Peppers Bean Sprouts 3 ladles of Thai Lemon Basil 1 ladle of No-So-Sweet & Sour® 1 ladle of Sesame Oil 1 ladle of Lemon Juice Not only will Thai Lemon Basil satisfy the palate, but it's also vegan friendly and gluten free...

March 10, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – As HuHot Mongolian Grill continues to thrive as one of the leading concepts in the Mongolian category, the need to define the brand as well as the category becomes increasingly important. Consumer research, brand positioning and a new tagline provide the foundation to face the competition head on. HuHot is now poised for success in 2011 and beyond.

After 12 years of successful growth of sales and units, HuHot knew it was time to speak to regular and lapsed customers to dial in on what's so special about HuHot and what brings them through the door. An extensive research study composed of in-depth customer interviews and an online survey across all HuHot markets was conducted by an external research firm...

February 01, 2011 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – All HuHot Mongolian Grill locations will offer the perfect dining deal for two people in February. Khan's Khupid Feast offers couples two grill meals, an appetizer or dessert to share, and two glasses of house wine or two draft beers for just $29.95, valid Sunday through Thursday.

Valentine's Day can be a meaningful holiday for many couples so HuHot is celebrating all month long with Khan's Khupid Feast. "This year we're extending the romance from one day to the entire month," says Andy Vap, CEO. "This allows customers to skip the crowds and come in the day before or day after to celebrate Valentine's Day." This deal can save people up to $10, based on location, and customers are always looking for discounts...

December 09, 2010 // Franchising.com // Missoula, MT – For one day only, HuHot Mongolian Grill is having a Facebook® Fire Sale on their gift cards. HuHot will give a FREE $20 gift card to the first 200 people who purchase a $50 gift card using a promo code available only on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/huhot. Valid for online gift card purchases made on Monday, December 13th.

Last year this offer increased online gift card sales over 700% compared to the average daily purchases during December. "This year we plan to beat that because we now have over 73,000 Facebook fans," said Andy Vap, CEO of HuHot Mongolian Grills LLC. "It's an unbelievable deal, especially because in-store you get $20 free but you have to spend $100...

November 16, 2010 // Franchising.com // Missoula, Montana – HuHot Mongolian Grills, LLC kicked off the holiday giving season by hosting a food drive at 20 of their locations during the month of October. Customers were encouraged to bring in their non-perishable food items for donation and in return received 50% off of their HuHot grill meal as a token of gratitude.

This program was purposely held during October in order to jump-start the collection process and stock shelves for the food banks' traditionally busiest time at the end of the year. With over 35,000 pounds of food that was collected, that provides almost 27,000 meals for community members needing assistance this holiday season.

Jim Dawson, the Food Sourcing Specialist at Feeding South Dakota said, "We could not keep our food pantry doors open and food on the shelf or Feeding South Dakota running without the support of people like HuHot...

October 13, 2010 // Franchising.com // Missoula, Montana – HuHot Mongolian Grills, LLC held their annual Franchise Meeting in Denver, Colorado on October 4-5th and recognized four of their franchisees for their outstanding performance over the past year.

Restaurant of the Year – Rochester, Minnesota (TRICOR Enterprises, LLC) Based on sales growth, consistency in operations and guest satisfaction. Double digit sales growth from January through August 2010 Consistent Ecosure® and SRC mystery shop scores Marketing Committee member – elected by peers Franchise Owner of the Year – David Lindenstruth of Appetize Inc. Based on sales and company growth, consistency in operations, marketing and operations innovation, and guest satisfaction...

September 03, 2010 // Franchising.com // Missoula, Montana – HuHot Mongolian Grill has started the third annual How Do You HuHot Recipe Contest, which runs through the month of September. Customers enter their best grill meal recipe using any of the available ingredients at HuHot then have a chance to win free HuHot meals, a private party for 20 people at HuHot or even cash.

At HuHot, each customer is their own chef by selecting their proteins, noodles, vegetables, and sauces. This opens the door to a level of uniqueness and creativity that lends itself to a competitive recipe contest. "This has been a very popular contest for us and customers really get into it" said Andy Vap, CEO of HuHot.

Customers can enter in-store at any of the 32 locations or enter online at www...

Customers Who Dress Like Genghis Khan Will Eat Free for One Day Only MISSOULA, MT -(Marketwir) - HuHot Mongolian Grill, a leading create-your-own stir fry restaurant concept, will offer their grill meal for free to customers dress like Genghis on Friday, August 20. Wear three or more wardrobe items to mimic Genghis Khan and customers will be rewarded.

This is the inaugural year for Dress Like Genghis Day. So, if picturing Genghis Khan is challenging, there are plenty of ideas online at www.huhot.com/dress_like_genghis. Download and print out a Fu Manchu and goatee facial hair or go all out and rent a traditional Mongolian warrior costume.

Before heading out to get a free grill meal at HuHot, customers who take a digital photo of themselves in costume and upload it to www...