Scratch-made Tex-Mex, founded in 2005 in Fort Collins, Colorado, now open to qualified owner-operators in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah.
Requires at least $167,500 in liquid capital. Two minutes to apply.
Everything on the menu is made from scratch in the restaurant. Guests taste the difference, and that is why the brand built a following before it ever franchised.
Customers build their own meal in signature tins, with fresh salsa, scratch tortillas, and Twice for One Price value. The format is fast-casual in speed and full-service in craft, which gives a new owner a menu that is easy to explain and hard to copy.
We would rather be direct now than waste your time later.
Fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, scratch tortillas, and tins built to order. A concept guests already come back for.
See if you qualifyNo surprises. Here is what it costs to open and what you pay to stay in the system.
Includes the $45,000 franchise fee.
Of gross sales.
At least this amount.
2025 Total Income (gross sales) of the four affiliate-owned Colorado restaurants ranged from $2,086,614 to $3,338,782; gross profit (sales minus food cost only) $1,549,979 to $2,419,801. Some stores have sold this amount. There is no assurance you will sell as much.
Café Mexicali is run by two founders who work in the restaurants, and you have a direct line to them.
Rick leads the culinary and people side of the brand. He previously served as Head of Franchising for a 22-location, multi-state restaurant brand and is Chief Executive Officer of the four affiliates that own and operate the Colorado restaurants.
A former Naval Officer and mechanical engineer, David leads operations and strategy, bringing systems thinking to every restaurant. He is Chief Development Officer of the four affiliates.
A guided path with a 14-day FDD review before you sign anything.
You complete the short application. It goes straight to Jim DelVecchio, with no call center in between.
Jim calls within two business days if your capital and timeline fit. You talk through your background, your market, and what ownership looks like day to day.
Both sides confirm the fit: at least $167,500 in liquid capital, the market you want, and your timeline.
You receive the Franchise Disclosure Document and have at least 14 days to review it before you sign anything or pay any money.
14-day review periodYou spend time with Rick Krammer and David Hoffman and walk a working restaurant.
When you are confident, you sign the Franchise Agreement and the team helps you identify and approve a location.
Three weeks of initial training, build-out assistance, and one week of on-site opening support. You open as an owner-operator.
The total initial investment to open a Café Mexicali restaurant is $668,200 to $1,252,500, as disclosed in Item 7 of the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That range includes the $45,000 franchise fee.
You need at least $167,500 in liquid capital to qualify for a Café Mexicali franchise. That is the qualifying minimum Café Mexicali sets for applicants, not the full cost of opening. The total initial investment is $668,200 to $1,252,500.
The process has seven steps, and the only fixed period is the 14-day Franchise Disclosure Document review. Jim DelVecchio calls within two business days of your application if your capital and timeline fit. After that, the pace depends on how quickly you review the FDD, choose a site, and build out.
You should not apply if you have less than $167,500 in liquid capital, want a fully absentee investment, or are not ready to complete a Franchise Disclosure Document review. Café Mexicali also cannot make offers in states where it is not yet registered, including South Dakota for now.
The questions owners ask first, answered from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document.
Two minutes to apply. If your capital and timeline fit, Jim DelVecchio calls you within two business days.
