From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Baja Fresh

Quick service restaurant

Software purchasing at Baja Fresh is controlled at the headquarters level, where executives like CEO Eric Lefebvre and CFO Renee St-Onge oversee a system of 67 franchised locations. The brand mandates Olo for digital ordering and a specified point-of-sale system, creating a defined tech landscape for vendors. With an average unit volume of $822,568, the addressable market is concentrated but presents a clear integration opportunity for SaaS providers targeting quick-service restaurants.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
68
67 franchised
Unit growth YoY
vs prior filing
AUV
$823K
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$429K–$1.03M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing

Ongoing fee load

What the operator pays every month

The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.

8%of gross sales (FY2026)

Ongoing fees: 8% of gross sales (FY2026)Royalty 5%, Ad fund 3%. Total 8% of gross sales. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Royalty 5%Ad fund 3%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.

Olo
Mandatory
DeliveryItem 8

plication (“App”) and online food ordering service (including any third-party delivery order integration) and may not use any other store- specific App or online ordering service. Olo is a Franchisor-

Facebook
MarketingItem 11

tions 3.2 and 10.2). You may not maintain a web site, software application, an App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®,

Instagram
MarketingItem 11

web site, software application, an App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®

LinkedIn
MarketingItem 11

oftware application, an App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest

Pinterest
MarketingItem 11

lication, an App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest®, Snapchat

Snapchat
MarketingItem 11

App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest®, Snapchat®, Tumblr®, T

Twitter
MarketingItem 11

social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest®, Snapchat®, Tumblr®, Twitter®/X, YouTube®

YouTube
MarketingItem 11

account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest®, Snapchat®, Tumblr®, Twitter®/X, YouTube®, Vine®, VKon

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

28 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 1 explicit no; 5 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

The POS System must be configured so that we have independent and remote access to the information and data stored in it.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

to submit to us, within ninety (90) days after the end of each calendar year, commencing on the Effective Date, in a format approved by us, a profit and loss statement and balance sheet (including a statement of retained earnings or partnership account) for the preceding calendar year;

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

Neptune Equipment, an affiliate of franchisor, is currently one of the approved suppliers of certain equipment, interior and exterior signage menu boards, POS System and smallwares.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Franchise agreement

At any time and from time to time, we may in our sole option engage in new product rollouts to add to or change the menu items offered for sale in the Franchised Business and the ingredients or supplier of ingredients utilized in the preparation of the menu items sold in the Franchised Business (“Rollout”).

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

1849497

Item 8

During our last fiscal year, Neptune Equipment earned a total of $1,849,497 of the $47,054,607 from franchisee purchases.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You acknowledge Franchisor and/or its affiliates has the right to receive commissions, volume discounts, purchase discounts, performance payments, bonuses, rebates, marketing and advertising allowances, co-op advertising, administrative fees, enhancements, price discounts, economic benefits and/or other payments…

Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?

Yes

Item 8

A charge not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection and the actual cost of the test not to exceed $5,000 must be paid to us either by you or by the proposed supplier.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

All requests for approving new or alternative suppliers must be submitted in writing by you and/or the supplier to the purchasing department at Kahala Brands.

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You acknowledge that between you and us, we have the sole right and interest in all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with any Proprietary Marks, and you authorize us and appoint us and any officer or agent of ours, as your attorney-in-fact, to direct the telephone company and all listings agencies…

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

as a franchisee who accepts credit cards, you are required to be PCI compliant by following and adhering to PCI DSS

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Item 11

We will continue our efforts to maintain high and uniform standards of quality, cleanliness, appearance and service at all restaurants in the System, including making periodic inspections and quality service checks of your restaurant

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Item 11

We may modify the 54 Operations Manual as and when we desire, but no modification will materially alter your status and rights under the Franchise Agreement (See Exhibit E: Franchise Agreement—Section 4.5).

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 12

The specific site of your Baja Fresh Restaurant is subject to our approval.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Item 11

You may not maintain a web site, software application, an App (application), social media account (including, but not limited to, an account, group or page on Facebook®, Flickr®, Foursquare®, Google+®, Instagram®, LinkedIn®, Pinterest®, Snapchat®, Tumblr®, Twitter®/X, YouTube®, Vine®, VKontakte or Weibo®), or…

Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?

Yes

Item 7

You are required to pay a Grand Opening Marketing fee of $10,000 for a Traditional store or $5,000 for a Non-Traditional store payable to franchisor on the earlier of (i) prior to you executing a lease for the premises where the Franchised Business will be located; or (ii) prior to construction commencing at the…

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Franchise agreement

cooperation with and participation in sales, marketing, advertising and promotional programs (including loyalty programs, online ordering programs, discount coupons, discount gift cards, special menu promotions, and entering into product and service agreements directly with third-party vendors and service providers…

Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?

Yes

Item 11

If a Cooperative is formed for your region, you must financially contribute to the Cooperative, as required by us.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must purchase or otherwise acquire certain proprietary or required equipment and supplies utilized in the Franchised Business only from our designated approved distributors or suppliers.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must purchase or otherwise acquire certain proprietary or required equipment and supplies utilized in the Franchised Business only from our designated approved distributors or suppliers.

Payments

Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Additionally, you must utilize our approved third-party payment card processor, as identified in the System Standards, for processing all Card Processing System transactions.

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Payment of the Royalty Fee, Advertising Fee (as defined in Section 5.3), and all other fees due under this Agreement to us shall be made via electronic transfer of funds from the Depository Account.

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 11

You must obtain gift card processing services, and for online ordering only, credit and debit card processing, from our approved vendors.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

Additionally, you must employ on a full time basis at least one on-premises supervisor (“Manager”) for the restaurant.

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 15

All personnel must wear a uniform or other clothing approved by us.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

We require you to exclusively use an approved electronic point-of-sale system to record all your sales during the operation of your restaurant, the components of which are identified in the Confidential Manual ("POS System").

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

The POS System must be configured so that we have independent and remote access to the information and data stored in it.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

We may, in the future, hold refresher or additional training programs, conferences and seminars.

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Attendance at these additional training programs and conferences is mandatory.

The filing answers no to 1 question
  • Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Franchise agreement

Who buys here

The buyer at this brand

The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.

Sales LeaderEmerging 20 99

The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.

VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
  1. 41.9% of quick service brands mandate no POS system, leaving a massive blind spot in your target list.By instantly identifying the 452 brands with no POS mandate, you replace weeks of manual FDD research and focus your pipeline on high-fit displacement targets, cutting customer acquisition cost by over 60%.
  2. 82.3% of brands mandate no accounting system, signaling a wide-open market for tech vendors.FranCloud surfaces the 888 brands without an accounting mandate so your team can prioritize outreach before competitors even know they exist, turning a manual research cost center into a predictable revenue engine.
  3. Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.

The vendor opportunity at Baja Fresh

Baja Fresh operates as a quick-service restaurant chain with 68 total units, of which 67 are franchised and a single location remains company-owned. The brand’s average unit volume sits at $822,568, and franchisees pay a 5.0% royalty on a 10-year initial term. For software vendors, the opportunity is defined by a small but concentrated footprint where a headquarters mandate can unlock nearly the entire system. The chain is independently owned, with no parent company on file, meaning decisions are made internally without a larger corporate hierarchy. No operator footprint data is mapped in our corpus, so multi-unit dynamics remain opaque.

Who controls software purchasing

The buying center at Baja Fresh sits squarely at the Arizona headquarters. The 2026 FDD lists Eric Lefebvre as Chief Executive Officer, Renee St-Onge as Chief Financial Officer, and Jeff Smit as Chief Operating Officer. Senior Vice President of Restaurant Operations Anthony Crosby and Vice President of Restaurant Operations Blake Borwick round out the operations leadership. For a SaaS vendor, the CFO and COO are the likely economic and operational buyers, while the operations VPs will be key stakeholders for any tool touching store-level workflows. There is no CIO or CTO named in the filing, so initial outreach should target the finance and operations functions.

Mandated and current tech stack

The FDD is explicit about two technology mandates. Olo by Olo Inc. is the mandated platform for digital ordering, covering online and mobile channels. A point-of-sale system is also mandated, though the specific vendor is not named in the available extract. This creates a clear integration surface: any software that needs to interoperate with Olo or the POS must fit within a stack where those two components are non-negotiable. Vendors offering complementary capabilities—such as labor scheduling, inventory management, or catering fulfillment—should position their solutions as enhancements that sit alongside, not in place of, these mandated systems.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Procurement signals are thin in the available data. Item 8 of the FDD, which typically outlines designated versus approved supplier relationships, provided no extract in our corpus. This means the formal procurement model is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. On the renewal side, Item 17 offers a clearer picture: franchisees not in default may renew for a single additional term of 5 years, with no further right to renew afterward. The initial term is 10 years. For a software vendor, this suggests that major technology evaluations could cluster around the 10-year mark, though the absence of year-over-year unit growth data makes it difficult to gauge expansion-driven demand. No recent unit growth percentage is available.

How to read the Baja Fresh FDD

The 2026 Baja Fresh Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for the facts cited here. It details the executive team, unit counts, financial performance representations, and technology mandates that shape the vendor landscape. The embedded PDF viewer below provides the full filing. For software sales teams, the FDD is a research utility, not a pitch deck—use it to confirm who holds budget authority, what systems are locked in, and when franchise agreements come up for renewal.

Questions vendors ask

Baja Fresh, answered from the filing

The executive team, including CEO Eric Lefebvre, CFO Renee St-Onge, and COO Jeff Smit, controls purchasing. Operations VPs Anthony Crosby and Blake Borwick likely influence restaurant-level tech decisions.
The 2026 FDD mandates Olo by Olo Inc. for digital ordering and a specified point-of-sale system. The exact POS vendor is not named in the available extract.
The system has 68 total units: 67 franchised and 1 company-owned. This is a small, tightly controlled quick-service restaurant chain.
The procurement model is not detailed in the available FDD extract. Item 8, which would specify designated or approved suppliers, provided no signal in our corpus.
Franchise agreements run for a 10-year initial term, with a single 5-year renewal. Contract windows may align with these cycles, but no recent activity data is available.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. You can review the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

103 operators run 103 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit103

Top states by locations

CA47
OR15
NV8
AZ8
GA5

Related Quick service restaurant brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.