Fuego Cravings Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Fuego Cravings is a fast-casual franchise serving California-Mexican fusion food like birria, tacos, and burritos for dine-in, carryout, and delivery. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, staffing, and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Fuego Cravings franchise requires a total initial investment of $145K – $324K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $145K – $324K
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned only
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 7
- 30th 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 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
- COSTTotal investment $145K – $324K including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNS2024 audited Total Revenue of $110,227 comprises Initial Franchise Fees $48,428, Franchise Royalty Fees $53,592, and Gift Card Sales and Other $8,207. Only one year (FYE Dec 31, 2024) of audited statements available; franchisor established Nov 20, 2023.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports company owned outlet financial data rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Fuego Cravings Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Francisco Zapien
- CEO experience
- 6 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 7252 Archibald Avenue, #1242, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91701
- Auditor
- Roos & McNabb CPA's, A Professional Corporation
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $110K
- Most recent fiscal year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Francisco Zapien
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 64% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $60K | $72K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $50K | $217K |
| Total initial investment | $145K | $324K |
Source: Fuego Cravings 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
- $145K – $324K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $60K – $72K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $9K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Fuego Cravings did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Fuego Cravings unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
42%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
2024 audited Total Revenue of $110,227 comprises Initial Franchise Fees $48,428, Franchise Royalty Fees $53,592, and Gift Card Sales and Other $8,207. Only one year (FYE Dec 31, 2024) of audited statements available; franchisor established Nov 20, 2023.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
- Item 19 type
- company owned outlet financial data
- Sample size
- 3
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $898K→$1.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
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 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports company owned outlet financial data rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 averages
How Fuego Cravings Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 57%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 28.6%
- Units that stopped operating
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)
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
Fuego Cravings is a micro-franchise with unproven profitability metrics, undisclosed going concern status, and insufficient franchisee density to validate the business model.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Roos & McNabb CPA's, A Professional Corporation
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — franchisor may have financial viability issues
- 02MEDNet Income not disclosed in Item 19 — cannot assess actual profitability or ROI
- 03MINOROnly 7 units system-wide — extremely small franchise network suggests weak growth/appeal
- 04MINORNo unit growth data provided — unclear if system is stable, growing, or declining
- 05MINORHigh investment range ($145K–$323K) against only 7 units raises scalability questions
- 06MINOR5% royalty on $992K avg revenue = $49.6K annual fee burden with unknown net income
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | San Bernardino County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 89 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 270 hrs
- Training location
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA (affiliate restaurant) and/or franchisee's Restaurant Location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- SnackPass
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: SnackPass
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Fuego Cravings · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Fuego Cravings franchise?
The total investment to open a Fuego Cravings franchise ranges from $145K – $324K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Fuego Cravings franchise owners earn?
Fuego Cravings does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Fuego Cravings 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 Fuego Cravings FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Fuego Cravings's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Fuego Cravings (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 Fuego Cravings franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Fuego Cravings has 7 total units in the United States, including 4 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Fuego Cravings a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Fuego Cravings as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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.