Café Mexicali^®

Food & Beverage • Year: 2025

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What Is Café Mexicali?

Café Mexicali is a fast-casual franchise offering Mexican-inspired food made primarily from fresh ingredients, including items such as Quesolle® rolled quesadillas, smothered burritos, breakfast burritos, salads, soups, soft tacos, nachos, desserts and drinks. Restaurants operate as counter-service, assembly-line style locations where customers order at the counter and interact with the menu as it is prepared. Some Restaurants may offer a selection of alcoholic beverages to complement menu items. Typical locations are end-cap spaces in retail strip or in-line shopping centers and other high-traffic urban and suburban sites, often near residential communities and office buildings, generally requiring approximately 3,500 to 4,000 square feet.

Café Mexicali Franchise: Pros and Cons

The franchise has a notably clean legal record, with 0 disclosed lawsuits, 0 franchisee-initiated judgments/settlements, 0 government penalties, and 0 franchisor enforcement actions, but it poses major financial and maturity risks with a high $98,000 minimum (up to $182,000) franchise fee and 0 franchised units.

Pros

0 disclosed lawsuits, 0 franchisee-initiated judgments/settlements, 0 government penalties, and 0 franchisor enforcement actions — well below what's common in Food & Beverage, giving the system a clean legal record to work with.

The $31,500 maximum (and $21,500 minimum) training cost is well above typical for Food & Beverage, which suggests a more comprehensive initial training program and hands-on preparation before you open.

A 0% manager required equity percentage — well below typical — gives you flexibility to structure manager ownership and compensation the way you prefer.

Cons

A $98,000 minimum franchise fee and $182,000 maximum franchise fee — both well above typical for Food & Beverage — mean a materially higher upfront cost to acquire the franchise rights.

With 0 franchised units (well below typical), the system is effectively early-stage, which makes it difficult to speak with existing franchisees and verify real-world performance during due diligence.

Lawsuits & Legal Risk

100

Excellent

The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Territory Protection

48/100

NORMAL

Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units. Franchisor retains rights to sell via e-commerce, retail and alternative distribution channels, develop additional units consistent with market density, acquire/convert locations, and use different trademarks or venues; protection is contingent on performance contingencies and site-specific rights.

Training & Support

80/100

NORMAL

The brand provides a robust 120-hour training curriculum designed to prepare four franchisee-designated staff members for launch. The program includes on-site launch support for operational readiness; travel and lodging, and any fees associated with on-site assistance, are the responsibility of the franchisee.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Café Mexicali Franchise?

Opening a Café Mexicali franchise requires a total initial investment of $587,700 to $1,358,000, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This range covers the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and initial working capital needed to launch and operate through the early months.

Minimum Investment

$587,700

Franchise Fee

Real Estate

Equipment & Assets

Reserves

Training

Other

Maximum Investment

$1,358,000

Minimum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$98,000

Real Estate$265,200

Equipment & Assets$182,000

Reserves$31,000

Training$21,500

Other$-10,000

Maximum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$182,000

Real Estate$663,500

Equipment & Assets$357,000

Reserves$97,000

Training$31,500

Other$27,000

Investment Analysis

This investment analysis is coming soon. Have ideas for other analyses you'd like us to add? Get in touch.

The initial investment amounts shown are estimates only. Actual costs may vary based on location size, business model, and multi-unit ownership arrangements. We recommend reviewing the full Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.

How Much Do Café Mexicali Franchise Owners Make?

Café Mexicali franchise locations reported average gross sales of $2,361,972 and median gross sales of $2,344,716 in 2025, based on financial performance data disclosed in Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Average Gross Sales:

$2,361,972

Median Gross Sales:

$2,344,716

High Gross Sales:

$3,424,493

Low Gross Sales:

$1,479,861

Sample Size:

Percent Attaining Average:

40.0%

Franchise vs Corporate Performance: No franchised-unit financial performance is provided in Item 19, so the available evidence reflects affiliate/company-owned restaurants only, which show an average 2024 Total Income of about 2.36 million per unit across the five locations.

Performance Variability Analysis: There is substantial dispersion in 2024 Total Income across the five affiliate units (high 3424492.98, low 1479861.2), with only 2 of 5 units at or above the sample mean, indicating material variability in unit performance.

Data Scope and Limitations: The P&L data are unaudited and limited to five affiliate-owned restaurants (one partial-year), so results may not be representative of franchised outlets or future performance and should be used with caution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to open a Café Mexicali franchise?

The total initial investment for a Café Mexicali franchise ranges from $587,700 to $1,358,000, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and working capital.

What is the Café Mexicali initial franchise fee?

The initial franchise fee for Café Mexicali is $35,000, as stated in the 2025 FDD. This fee is paid upon signing the Franchise Agreement.

How much do Café Mexicali franchise owners make?

Café Mexicali franchise locations reported average gross sales of $2,361,972 and median gross sales of $2,344,716 in 2025, based on Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Actual earnings vary by location, market, and operator experience.

Does Café Mexicali have any franchise lawsuits or legal issues?

Café Mexicali received a legal risk score of 100 out of 100 in the 2025 FDD analysis. The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Does Café Mexicali offer exclusive franchise territories?

Café Mexicali received a territory protection score of 48 out of 100. Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units.

What training does Café Mexicali provide to new franchisees?

Café Mexicali received a training and support score of 80 out of 100. The brand provides a robust 120-hour training curriculum designed to prepare four franchisee-designated staff members for launch.

How many Café Mexicali franchise locations are there?

Café Mexicali had 5 total locations as of the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.

What type of business is Café Mexicali?

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