US Industry Hub

Mexican Fast-Casual Franchises

Mexican fast-casual franchises generally need less space than full-service concepts. Their production-line setup can reduce labor costs, but it relies on disciplined kitchen throughput. Each figure on this page comes from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document: Item 5 covers the franchise fee, Item 7 lists the investment range, and Item 20 shows the number of units actually open today.

What a Mexican fast-casual franchise actually costs
$287,950entry floor$596,263median$3,321,000top of range
4 of 4 brands publish an Item 7 range $483,063–$857,619 is the middle half 4 of 4 file Item 19 earnings

Each dot is one brand's minimum total investment (FDD Item 7). An entry-cost distribution only — not a promise of return.

4 Mexican Fast-Casual brands, ranked by entry cost
1Taco BellFPRMexican QSR / Quick-Service Restaurant $287,950–$857,700 $22,500 10% 221+
2QdobaFPRMexican Fast-Casual / QSR $548,100–$1,294,000 $40,000 5% 652+
3Moe's SouthwestFPRMexican QSR / Grill $644,425–$1,968,450 $35,500 5% 563+
4Del TacoFPRMexican-American QSR $1,497,200–$3,321,000 $35,000 5% 461+

Bar shows each brand's Item 7 range across the $287,950–$3,321,000 span of this category; the lighter block behind it is the middle half of the category (25th–75th percentile). Ranked by lowest entry cost.

Brands in this industry that do NOT franchise

These are run only through corporate-owned or licensed outlets, so individuals cannot submit a franchise application.

Chipotle does not franchise
Related US industry hubs
ChickenBurgers & Drive-Thru
Straight answers
How much does a Mexican fast-casual franchise cost?

Across the 4 mexican fast-casual brands FRANticc tracks in the US with a disclosed investment range, entry cost runs from $287,950 (Taco Bell) to $1,497,200 (Del Taco), per each brand's FDD Item 7.

Which is the cheapest Mexican fast-casual franchise?

Taco Bell has the lowest disclosed minimum investment on this page at $287,950 (FDD Item 7). That is a starting figure, not the total cost of getting to opening day — franchise fee, working capital and any real estate are on top where applicable.

How much do mexican fast-casual franchise owners make?

Financial Performance Representations (FDD Item 19) are optional under FTC franchise rules, so not every brand publishes one. 4 of 4 brands on this page disclose earnings data in their current FDD; check the individual brand page for what each one discloses. FRANticc does not estimate or promise returns — only figures a brand has itself put in writing.

Can I get SBA financing for a Mexican fast-casual franchise?

Many brands in this category are listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, which is what SBA 7(a) lenders check first — but directory listing and loan approval are two different things, and approval also depends on the individual applicant's credit and collateral. Confirm current SBA status directly with the brand and with an SBA-approved lender; FRANticc does not verify per-brand SBA eligibility.

Every figure above is from the brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document (Items 5, 6, 7, 20) on file with FRANticc, US-scoped (country_code=US) — no India data mixed in.
If any figure is incorrect, write to [email protected]