Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill serves the best food around, but we offer so much more than that for our Mexican food franchise owners and their guests. At Costa Vida, we say “We serve amazing,” and we do that for our guests and our franchisees. For the customer, we offer a high-value plate of food with unique flavors and a relaxing guest experience. For our franchisees, we maintain mutually beneficial relationships and provide operations and a supply chain that support strong financial returns.

Costa Vida is run by executives who know their way around a kitchen, and our franchise team stays on the front lines. Chairman of the Board Sean Collins and President and CEO Dave Rutter started as our first franchisees and still play a large role in operating corporate-owned locations. We pride ourselves on staying engaged with the opportunities and challenges our franchise owners face, so that we can keep improving and help the whole system succeed.

Our leadership is comprised of experienced multi-unit restaurant owners and food service veterans, just like the franchisees we’re seeking to work with. We aren’t making short-term decisions to benefit private equity or public shareholders. We’re in this business to help smart, skilled franchise owners create strong financial returns while we work together to build an iconic Mexican food franchise.

Strong franchise operations to help you succeed

We do things the right way, serving fresh food made from scratch, because that provides the best experience to your guests and the greatest rewards to you as a franchise owner. Regimented operations and easy-to-follow recipes simplify the business and give you the tools to best serve your guests. Excellent vendor relationships keep operating costs low and stable, enabling you to more quickly reach and maintain profitability. Most importantly, the exceptional food quality, fresh ingredients and satisfying portions at reasonable prices create an excellent guest experience that builds strong excitement and word-of-mouth about the business.

Best of all, you can be part of a franchise system where we truly value the experience of our franchise owners. We operate our corporate-owned Costa Vidas the same as any franchised location, right down to paying our own royalty fees. We hold ourselves accountable and put ourselves right there with you in the day-to-day operations, so we know how every decision we make impacts and benefits you, the franchise owners.

Learn more about the Costa Vida winning formula

We have a simple and replicable formula for success, creating our own sustainable niche in a lucrative marketplace. With Costa Vida, you get:

• Delicious, innovative, chef-inspired food
• Smooth, efficient operations built for both quick service and menu customization for guests
• Relaxed atmosphere
• High perceived customer value
• High margins
• Food service veteran leadership and a franchisee-focused corporate culture
• Loyal guests who drive repeat business and word-of-mouth marketing