Wahoo's Fish Taco franchise
2024 filing · February 19, 2024
Wahoo's Fish Taco at a glance
A restaurant serving fish tacos, burritos, bowls and Pacific-inspired dishes, with beer and wine. At the end of 2023 there were 42 Wahoo's Fish Taco locations in the US, 23 franchised and 19 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $547K–$793K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5% of net sales
- 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus up to 1% to an advertising fund once set up and 2% on local advertising
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 1% of net sales, paid with the royalty
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 42
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 23
- Company-owned
- 19
- States
- 4
- Most in California, Colorado and Nevada
From Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Wahoo's Fish Taco among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Wahoo's Fish Taco | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $669,500 | Costs more than 74% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 42 | More than 62% of franchises |
How much a Wahoo's Fish Taco franchise costs
Opening one Wahoo's Fish Taco costs an estimated $546,500 to $792,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($200,000 to $260,000) and furniture, fixtures & equipment ($160,000 to $190,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Real Estate/Rent | $12,500 | $21,000 | |
| Utility Security Deposits | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Architectural and Design Service | $17,500 | $35,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $200,000 | $260,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $160,000 | $190,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Insurance | $10,000 | $55,000 | |
| Training | $20,000 | $35,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $6,000 | $10,000 | |
| Signage | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Office Equipment/Supplies | $3,000 | $6,500 | |
| Licenses/Permits | $2,500 | $10,000 | |
| Working Capital | $60,000 | $100,000 | |
| Total | $546,500 | $792,500 | |
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 15
Wahoo's Fish Taco franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus up to 1% to an advertising fund once set up and 2% on local advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 1% of net sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Software License Fee | To be determined, not to exceed $5,000 initially and $100 monthly |
| Additional Manager Training | $400 per day plus expenses |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Wahoo's Fish Taco does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 45
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $910K–$1.6M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Wahoo's Fish Taco franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for Wahoo's Fish Taco franchisees from 2013 to 2014, $850K in all. All 2 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Wahoo's Fish Taco compares
Of the 55 Mexican food franchises on this site, Wahoo's Fish Taco is the 35th cheapest to open and the 16th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Wahoo's Fish Taco | Typical Mexican food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $547K | $457K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $793K | $946K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 42 | 15 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | −17.9% | +2.1% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 38 of 55 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 55 brands in mexican food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27 (−1) | 20 |
| 2022 | 25 (−2) | 20 |
| 2023 | 23 (−2) | 19 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Franchised counts leave out two restaurants in Japan.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 46
Where Wahoo's Fish Taco locations are
At the end of 2023, Wahoo's Fish Taco had locations in 4 states. The most are in California, Colorado and Nevada.
- California28
- Colorado7
- Nevada6
- New Jersey1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 9 | 19 | 28 |
| Colorado | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Nevada | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, page 47
Who owns Wahoo's Fish Taco?
Wahoo's Fish Taco franchises are sold by Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC.
From Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 8. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Wahoo's Fish Taco filings
The figures on this page come from Wahoo's Fish Taco, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued February 19, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | February 19, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other Mexican food franchises
All Mexican food franchises
Wahoo's Fish Taco is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.