El Fresco Mexican Grill Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $354K – $606K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
El Fresco Mexican Grill is a fast-casual franchise serving fresh Mexican tacos, burritos, and bowls. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A El Fresco Mexican Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $354K – $606K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2026 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - the current year's filing
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $354K – $606K
- 58th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outlets
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 4
- 18th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants median · 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
- COSTTotal investment $354K – $606K including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 41/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- El Fresco Franchising Systems, LLC
- CEO title
- Owner
- Steve Ganji
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 13970 Metrotech Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151
- Auditor
- Naper CPA Group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $138K
- vs $172K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Steve Ganji
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a quick-service restaurants franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $294K | $526K |
| Total initial investment | $354K | $606K |
Source: El Fresco Mexican Grill 2026 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
- $354K – $606K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $175 |
| Training fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for El Fresco Mexican Grill is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one El Fresco Mexican Grill unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Includes company-owned outlets
- Item 19 type
- gross sales by outlet
- Range (low → high)
- $708K→$888KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 40 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Item 19 · by group
What the filing does disclose
Item 19 of this FDD reports performance in more than one group. We publish no single average for this brand; the groups the filing does disclose are listed below, quoted from its own Item 19 table.
Each row below is quoted from the FDD's own Item 19 table. Gross sales are not profit.
Incl. company outletsItem 19 detail
company owned
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Company Owned - Chantilly, VA | 1 | $1.8M |
| Company Owned - Alexandria, VA | 1 | $654K |
franchised
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise Owned - Sterling, VA | 1 | $708K |
| Franchise Owned - Centreville, VA | 1 | $888K |
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +100.0% over 3 years (0 opened, 1 closed).
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 Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How El Fresco Mexican Grill Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 4
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 25.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 50%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +100.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -33.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
2 current owners across 1 state.
- VA 2
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
El Fresco presents a HIGH-CAUTION profile: a micro-franchise system with unproven unit economics, no profitability disclosure, questionable corporate financial health, and no demonstrated growth, making investor returns highly speculative.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Naper CPA Group
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 41 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 4 existing units with unknown/stalled growth trajectory raises sustainability questions
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents accurate ROI assessment and suggests weak or inconsistent profitability
- 03MEDHigh investment range ($353k-$605k) against only 4 units suggests limited franchisor track record and unproven unit economics
- 04MINOR5% royalty on $1M average revenue ($50k annually) may be insufficient to support franchisor operations with only 4 units
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Delaware (where franchisor headquarters is located) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | DE |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 66 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 44 hrs
- Training location
- Chantilly, VA or franchisee's location
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Clover POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a El Fresco Mexican Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a El Fresco Mexican Grill franchise ranges from $354K – $606K, 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 El Fresco Mexican Grill franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the El Fresco Mexican Grill FDD discloses outlet figures from $708K to $888K but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns El Fresco Mexican Grill?
El Fresco Mexican Grill is franchised by El Fresco Franchising Systems, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the El Fresco Mexican Grill FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the El Fresco Mexican Grill FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is El Fresco Mexican Grill's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for El Fresco Mexican Grill (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many El Fresco Mexican Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, El Fresco Mexican Grill has 4 total units in the United States, including 2 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is El Fresco Mexican Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates El Fresco Mexican Grill as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 41 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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
Are you the franchisor?
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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.