Start a Moe's Southwest Grill Franchise in 2025

Company Overview

About Moe's Southwest Grill

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Mexican Food
Founded	2000
Parent Company	GoTo Foods
Leadership	Mike Smith, Chief Brand Officer
Corporate Address	5620 Glenridge Dr. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30342
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2001 (24 years)
# of employees at HQ	117
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	605 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Moe's Southwest 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.	$30,500
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.	$745,325 - $1,819,050
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.	$300,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$10,500 off franchise fee
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.	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.	20 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.

Third Party Financing	Moe's Southwest Grill has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, 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	36-150 hours
Classroom Training	18-50 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates 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
# of employees required to run	15
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

Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Moe's Southwest Grill landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where Moe's Southwest Grill ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

Ranked #320 in 2025

Franchise 500

Ranked #91 in Mexican Food in 2025

Top Food Franchises

More from Moe's Southwest Grill

Welcome To Moe's!

From the moment your fans walk through the door, they'll appreciate the family friendly atmosphere and variety of craveable, customizable menu items. About three and a half minutes is all that stands between each fan and a delicious meal.

For you and your team, our fast service and friendly environment mean serving more customers in a day and striving for well-balanced sales between lunch and dinner service.

MAKE THE MOE-ST OF YOUR FRANCHISE EXPERIENCE.

STRONG BRAND AWARENESS Launched in 2000, we've grown to more than 650 restaurants in 40 states.
SIMPLE, CUSTOMIZABLE MENU Just 20 ingredients can be turned into any amazing creation your fans crave.
SUPPORT PROVIDED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS Franchise support provided by Moe's and GoTo Foods™, a leading developer of iconic, global foodservice brands.
MULTIPLE REAL ESTATE CONFIGURATIONS Freestanding buildings, in-line locations, drive-thrus, food courts and more.
ENJOY OFF-PREMISES REVENUE Moe's offers catering, online ordering and third party delivery opportunities.
STRATEGIC SUPPLY CHAIN Leveraged spend management across GoTo Foods™ portfolio.

BRING OUR BELOVED FARE TO FANS NEAR YOU.

Moe's Southwest Grill® is authentic, adventurous and all-around fun. Our passion has made us the go-to brand for Southwestern fare and one of the most recognized fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchises available.

We're the ideal choice for franchise owners interested in building a loyal following in their market while embracing their own independent spirit.

"MOE’S HAS RECENTLY MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN ITS MODERNIZATION, MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE A SEAMLESS ONLINE ORDERING EXPERIENCE, UPDATED INTERIORS WITH ENGAGING IN-STORE GRAPHICS SHOWING OUR BOLD PERSONALITY AND A NEW LOGO, ALL WHILE SERVING THE SAME DELICIOUS FOOD OUR GUESTS CRAVE. THIS IS A BRAND I AM EXCITED TO GROW WITH INTO THE FUTURE. BIG THINGS ARE AHEAD!"
ROGER WAGNER MOE'S FRANCHISEE

Disclaimer

The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.

Updated: December 12th, 2022

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