Franchise Deep Dive: WaBa Grill’s Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

As one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains with over 200 restaurants across the West Coast, WaBa Grill boasts an impressive number of multi-unit franchise owners.

By Luca Piacentini1851 Franchise Managing Editor

11:11AM • 06/18/23

LAST UPDATED: May 22, 2023

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.wabagrill.com/franchise

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 210+

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $336,000 to $572,000

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $1.15 million (systemwide AUV in 2022)

WaBa Grill is a fast casual rice bowl restaurant franchise that serves boneless, skinless, fat-trimmed chicken; rib-eye cuts of steak; salmon; shrimp; and tofu. With a simple, innovative menu that emphasizes health-conscious dishes, ethnic flavors and high-quality ingredients, WaBa Grill has become a wildly popular brand on the West Coast. The brand competes in the Asian category against major franchises like Panda Express.

How Many WaBa Grill Locations Are There?

The WaBa Grill company was established in 2006 by Kyle Lee, Brian Ham and Eric Lee in Southern California, and currently has over 200 units across California and Arizona.

Over the years, WaBa Grill has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing American franchises and has been ranked among the nation’s top 500 franchises by Entrepreneur magazine. The company has also been listed as a leading fast-casual restaurant by several other media outlets such as Fast Casual, Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), Restaurant Business, QSR and others.

Since its founding, the majority of the brand’s growth has come from existing franchisees reinvesting. In 2022, more than half of WaBa Grill franchise owners owned multiple locations, with several developing entire territories.

In recent years, the WaBa Grill brand has continued to break sales records despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2022, WaBa Grill reported that its average unit volume (AUV) for the brand’s top 25% of locations reached more than $1.3 million, with the top 50% of locations achieving an AUV of more than $1.15 million.

What Is the WaBa Grill Business Model?

The WaBa Grill business model was created with simplicity in mind. Customers can build their own rice bowls or salads, choosing from a variety of proteins, vegetables and four sauces that run the gamut of sweet to spicy. Everything is cooked made-to-order; there’s no frying, no microwaves and no artificial additives. The ability to focus on a simple menu allows the brand to keep operations simple. Kitchens are designed for efficiency and productivity, and to get food out fast. One out of every four sales is digital, and that is trending upwards.

How Much Can WaBa Grill Franchise Owners Make?

WaBa Grill does not make any representations about financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a WaBa Grill?

The total investment necessary to open a WaBa Grill franchise ranges between $336,000 to $572,000. This includes:

Initial Franchise Fee: $30,000 ($25,000 for 2nd and any additional store)
Real Estate Security / Utility Deposits, Licenses and Prepaid Fees: $7,000–$20,000
Equipment and Furniture: $25,000–$35,000
Leasehold Improvements (including architectural and design fees): $225,000–$400,000
Opening Inventory: $5,500–$7,000
Insurance: $2,000–$5,000
Signage and Menu Board: $8,000–$20,000
Grand Opening Promotion: $5,000–$10,000
Cash Registers/Other Office Equipment: $8,500–$15,000
Additional Funds — 3 months: $20,000–$30,000
TOTAL BASIC PACKAGE: $336,000–$572,000

What Is the Franchise Fee for WaBa Grill?

The initial franchise fee is $30,000.

Who’s On WaBa Grill’ Leadership Team?

What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More About WaBa Grill?

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction. All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.