FranchiseVerdict
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B62/100FDD 2022

WaBa Grill — Litigation & Risk

Food & Beverage - Full Service · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Moderate — Review

1 case disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
1
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
62 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
MODERATE
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID

7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present

SBA Loan Performance

Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.

Total 7(a) loans
13
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$7.9M
Avg loan size
$608K
Participating lenders
10

FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
California
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 62/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — cannot validate revenue/profitability claims or ROI
  2. 02MINORSlow unit growth of 6.4% YoY suggests market saturation or declining franchisee satisfaction
  3. 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other WaBa Grill franchisees
  4. 04HIGH2015 franchise sales litigation with state regulatory body indicates compliance issues and regulatory scrutiny
  5. 05MINORHigh total investment ($341k-$577k) relative to unknown returns creates significant capital-at-risk scenario
  6. 06MED5% royalty on undisclosed revenue streams makes profitability modeling impossible for prospective franchisees

Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification

Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.