SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL in California have taken 5 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $477,500). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL has too few seasoned resolved loans nationally for a national ratio.
Loans in CA
5
Charged off (all years)
0 of 3
Loss ratio in CA
—
Loss ratio nationally
—
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.
Businesses in this industry
79,264
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
201
national 179.9
Versus the country
+12%
denser
Every business in COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL's industry operating in California — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$643
California, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+20%
costlier to staff
What COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL's industry actually pays workers in California, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.
| System | Loans in CA | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in CA | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | 573 | 25 of 463 | 0.3× | 1,783 |
| Quiznos | 346 | 76 of 277 | 1.2×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 244 | 28 of 185 | 0.8×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Baskin-Robbins | 228 | 28 of 172 | 0.9×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Mountain Mike'S Pizza | 127 | 11 of 82 | 0.9×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Togo'S Eatery | 122 | 17 of 106 | 0.8×NOT CLEAR | — |
| DENNY'S | 119 | 6 of 96 | 0.4× | 327 |
| Juice It Up | 97 | 18 of 66 | 1.2×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Round Table Pizza | 97 | 2 of 60 | 0.3× | — |
| DAIRY QUEEN | 94 | 11 of 76 | 1.0×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Papa Murphy'S | 91 | 2 of 71 | 0.1× | — |
| Wienerschnitzel | 91 | 13 of 71 | 1.1×NOT CLEAR | — |
Other systems in COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL's sector whose franchisees borrowed in California. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.
A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.