Start a Pancheros Mexican Grill Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $753K - $1.5M

Units as of 2025: 76 5.6% over 3 years

Pancheros Mexican Grill was the dream child of Rodney Anderson. After spending time in local taquerias while studying for his MBA in Chicago, he realized there was a shortage of quality burrito makers. To fill this gap, Anderson opened his restaurant in Iowa City, Iowa in 1992. Pancheros Mexican Grill has grown from its humble roots to over 70 locations throughout the United States. Of those, more than 40 of them are franchised locations.

Pancheros Mexican Grill offers homemade burrito bowls, fresh-pressed tacos, tortillas, quesadillas, queso, and salads. Pancheros Mexican Grill seeks potential franchisees with an innovative mindset for single or multi-unit franchise licenses. A franchisee should ideally yearn to bridge the burrito demand in their community, just as Anderson did several decades ago.

Why You May Want to Start a Pancheros Mexican Grill Franchise

Pancheros Mexican Grill serves homemade Mexican fare prepared fresh in-house daily. As a franchisee, you may offer a simple, easy-to-master menu. Servings are typically deli-style. Customers may enjoy the large portions and ability to customize their meals.

Your Pancheros Mexican Grill will most likely feature a display line of the freshest ingredients, emphasizing menu items prepared in-house. The Pancheros Mexican Grill restaurant model has been operating for more than 30 years, depicting a warm, high-energy, industrial branding and décor.

Pancheros Mexican Grill customers are dedicated to the 'Fresh-Mex' concept and the one-of-a-kind environment.

What Might Make a Pancheros Mexican Grill Franchise a Good Choice?

To be part of the Pancheros Mexican Grill team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. You should also prepare yourself for ongoing fees that include advertising, royalty, or renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet Pancheros Mexican Grill's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

The Mexican food that Pancheros Mexican Grill offers is not a seasonal product. With this in mind, you may be able to reach a diverse, devoted demographic. Although overhead costs, particularly during startup, are high, you and your staff can grow within your exclusive territory. The franchisor's proven tools and models include training, site selection, promotion and marketing, facility design or remodeling, and ongoing education.

How To Open a Pancheros Mexican Grill Franchise

To get started with Pancheros Mexican Grill, submit an inquiry form. Pancheros Mexican Grill may email an official franchise application to you, and a franchise development officer may get in touch once your suitability has been approved. Part of the induction process for a new franchisee with Pancheros Mexican Grill will involve examining their latest Franchise Disclosure Document.

Your Pancheros Mexican Grill development officer will assist with any questions you may have before going through on-the-job training alongside relevant classes. At the corporate restaurant in Coralville, Iowa, new franchisees are taken through discovery day. You'll spend time in an operational Pancheros Mexican Grill while interacting with current franchisees before beginning preparations for your restaurant's grand opening day.

Company Overview

About Pancheros Mexican Grill

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Mexican Food
Founded	1992
Parent Company	Pancheros Mexican Grill
Leadership	Rodney Anderson, President
Corporate Address	2475 Coral Ct., #B Coralville, IA 52241
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1995 (30 years)
# of employees at HQ	26
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	76 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Pancheros Mexican Grill franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$30,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$752,500 - $1,537,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$1,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$500,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%-3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Pancheros Mexican Grill offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee
Third Party Financing	Pancheros Mexican Grill has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	120 hours
Classroom Training	16 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes