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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Cilantro Taco Grill Franchise

Cilantro Taco Grill is an authentic Mexican fast-casual franchise serving Jalisco-style taqueria fare, including tacos, tortas, burritos, quesabirrias and platillos, through a Chipotle-style assembly-line format. Founded in 2013 by Temoc Morfin in the Chicago area, the brand grew from his family’s recipes and now operates around 20 company-owned locations across Chicagoland.

The company began franchising in 2023 and is backed by Grammy-winning artist Pitbull (Armando Christian Perez) and Fransmart, the development firm led by Dan Rowe that scaled Five Guys and QDOBA. Fransmart is the brand’s exclusive franchise development partner, with more than 100 units signed across Illinois, Texas, Florida and California.

The model is brick-and-mortar and territory-based, built around conversion-friendly real estate, a U.S. Foods commissary supply chain and a digital tech stack of app ordering, loyalty rewards and integrated POS. Revenue spans in-restaurant dining, off-premise delivery, catering and retail sales of the brand’s house salsa.

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Why buy a Cilantro Taco Grill Franchise?

The case to buy a Cilantro Taco Grill franchise rests on an authentic, founder-built concept entering a national growth phase with serious backing. Pitbull’s brand equity and Fransmart’s track record with Five Guys and QDOBA give the system marketing reach and development discipline that an emerging concept rarely has on its own, within a Mexican category that has proved resilient and high-frequency across economic cycles.

The format is built for efficiency: conversion-friendly real estate holds build-out cost down, a U.S. Foods commissary standardizes meat supply, and multiple revenue streams across dine-in, delivery, catering and retail salsa broaden the income base beyond counter sales. The brand’s mission of empowering Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs also gives it a distinct local identity.

Cilantro Taco Grill Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2023 data reported in the 2024 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2013

    • Franchising Since

      2023

    • New Startup Cost

      $273,000 – $730,800

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $15,000

      per Franchise Agreement; Multi-Unit Agreement transfer = 50% of then-current Initial Franchise Fee

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of weekly Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Revenue

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      15

    • New Units Opened *

      0

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2023 data reported in the 2024 FDD

Cilantro Taco Grill – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Through its Cilantro Academy, the franchisor provides about 110 hours of on-the-job training plus 16 hours of classroom instruction covering food operations, customer service and back-office management. Owners run on a tech stack of integrated POS, a consumer ordering app, loyalty rewards and inventory tools, supported by ongoing field visits, marketing templates and national campaigns, while a U.S. Foods commissary in Houston supplies meats. Resale buyers should confirm with Cilantro what onboarding and POS and app access transfer to incoming ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Cilantro Taco Grill suits hands-on, operations-led restaurant operators, and the franchisor looks for candidates with prior franchise or foodservice experience. Owners should be comfortable managing kitchen and counter staff, running assembly-line service at volume, and deploying the brand's ordering and loyalty technology. Multi-unit ambition fits the development model, and the brand's community mission gives operators who want to create local jobs a natural cultural fit.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Cilantro Taco Grill was named one of America's Hottest Startup Fast Casual Brands in 2024 by QSR, on the magazine's 40/40 list, and ranked #32 on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers. It has been widely described as the nation's fastest-growing authentic Mexican fast-casual concept following a year of rapid franchise signings. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's local reviews, repeat customers and community visibility.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US fast-casual restaurant market was valued near $48.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow about 6% annually through the mid-2030s, with Mexican concepts among its largest and fastest-expanding segments; US Mexican restaurants grew roughly 8% a year from 2020 to 2025, per IBISWorld. Demand is driven by consumer preference for customizable, value-priced meals and strong off-premise and delivery habits. For resale buyers, local demographics, daypart mix and delivery penetration shape an individual unit's performance.

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