Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $429K – $1.0M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $823K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 22.0% charge-off rate across 41 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $429K – $1.0M
- 30th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $823K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 68
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 22.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- Total investment $429K – $1.0M including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $823K/year (median $813K).
- Verdict C (Average), verdict score 44/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 22.0% across 41 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- BF Acquisition Holdings, LLC
Overview
About
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill is a quick-service restaurant concept offering fresh, high-quality Mexican-style food products such as burritos, tacos, quesadillas and related menu items, with on-premises dining and take-out service, operated through Traditional Restaurant and Non-Traditional (captive-market) franchise programs.
- CEO
- Eric Lefebvre
- Headquarters
- Arizona
- Founded
- 1990
- FDD year
- 2025
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 22% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $399K | $1.0M |
| Total initial investment | $429K | $1.0M |
Source: Baja Fresh Mexican Grill 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $429K – $1.0M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- N/A
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 46% below the full-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$74K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
9%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
11.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $823K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $813K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Sample size
- 63 units
- vs category median 16 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $374K→$1.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
Compared against 1273 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $823K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.1x.
Fee burden
5.0% royalty + 4.0% ad fund.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Baja Fresh Mexican Grill Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 68
- Opened
- N/A
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 41
- Loan volume
- $16.5M
- Median loan
- $300K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 22.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 78.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 18
- Defaults
- 9
- Typical loan rate
- 6.0%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 7222
- Jobs supported
- 1,144
- 6.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 27%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Vintage analysis
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchisees
Showing 3 of 18 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
A 22.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 22.0% — 37% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchise ranges from $429K – $1.0M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Baja Fresh Mexican Grill FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $823K. The median is $813K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Baja Fresh Mexican Grill's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has a charge-off rate of 22.0% across 41 loans, meaning 22.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has 68 total units in the United States.
Is Baja Fresh Mexican Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Baja Fresh Mexican Grill as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 44 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.