What Wahoo's Fish Taco does

Wahoo's Fish Taco is a privately held fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 1988 by the Lee brothers (Mingo, Wing, and Ed) in Costa Mesa, California. The company operates 30+ restaurant locations across seven geographic regions — Southern California (where it maintains 20+ units), Northern California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, and Japan (Tokyo/Diver City) — serving individual consumers, families, and groups with a Pacific-inspired menu anchored on fish tacos and including burritos, bowls, salads, and shared plates. Signature proteins include wild-caught Wahoo/Mahi-Mahi, chicken, carne asada, carnitas, shrimp, tofu, and banzai veggies, with the menu reflecting the founders' China, Brazil, Baja, and Greece heritage.

The company's underlying technology is conventional for the segment: a proprietary restaurant POS, a region-specific proprietary online ordering platform (order.wahoos.com plus per-region portals for SoCal, NorCal, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, and Japan), third-party delivery integrations with DoorDash and Grubhub, a catering integration with ezCater, an e-commerce storefront for branded merchandise and gift cards, the UserWay Web Accessibility Widget for WCAG 2.1 compliance, and a loyalty rewards program with opt-in SMS marketing. No native mobile app is offered, and there is no AI/ML capability disclosed.

The business model is primarily direct-to-consumer restaurant sales (dine-in, takeout, direct online ordering) at standard fast-casual unit pricing with regional variation. Supplementary revenue streams include third-party marketplace delivery (where the restaurant pays marketplace commissions), catering through ezCater in Colorado and Nevada, branded merchandise (t-shirts, fleeces, hats), and gift cards sold in $20–$100 denominations. The customer base is broad B2C with no named enterprise or institutional accounts, supplemented by a fundraising program that donates 20% of proceeds to schools and community groups. Recent product activity includes the June 2026 launch of the Ensenada Fish Taco and Spicy Ensenada Shrimp Taco.

Name

Wahoo's Fish Taco

Legal name

Wahoo's Fish Taco

Website

https://wahoos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Wahoo's Fish Taco is a privately held, Pacific-inspired fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 1988, operating 30+ locations across 7 regions in the US and Japan. It serves individual consumers, families, and groups with fish tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, and catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in and Takeout Restaurant Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from walk-in and takeout customers at physical restaurant locations across 7 regions (Southern California, Northern California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, Japan). Customers order from a menu of tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, shared plates, and beverages at the counter. Menu items include proteins such as chicken breast, carnitas, carne asada, wild-caught fish, shrimp, tofu, and banzai veggies, with price adjustments for premium proteins.
2. Online Ordering (Direct Web Ordering): Customers place orders through the restaurant's proprietary online ordering system (order.wahoos.com and region-specific portals) for pickup and delivery. Revenue is recognized at point of order completion.
3. Third-Party Delivery Marketplace: Orders placed through DoorDash and Grubhub marketplaces generate revenue when customers order delivery. Wahoo's expands its delivery reach through these third-party platforms, with commission/transaction fees typically paid by the restaurant to the platform.
4. Catering: Wahoo's offers catering services through ezCater (ezcater.com) and a dedicated catering line (Colorado, Nevada). Catering revenue is generated from larger group orders for events and functions, providing a B2B-adjacent revenue stream.
5. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Wahoo's sells branded merchandise (t-shirts, fleece hoodies, hats, gift cards) through its e-commerce storefront at wahoos.com. Gift cards are available in denominations of $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, and $100. Gift cards under $10 may be redeemed for cash at California locations.
6. SMS Loyalty/Marketing: Wahoo's operates a loyalty rewards program (Wahoo's Loyalty Rewards) through which subscribers opt in to receive SMS promotional and personalized marketing messages. This supports customer retention and repeat purchase behavior.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wahoo's Fish Taco operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Pacific-inspired Mexican cuisine, anchored on fish tacos and offering burritos, bowls, salads, and shared plates with customizable proteins including wild-caught fish, Mahi-Mahi, shrimp, chicken, carne asada, carnitas, tofu, and banzai veggies. The chain operates 30+ dine-in and takeout locations across seven U.S. regions and Japan, with direct online ordering, third-party delivery (DoorDash, Grubhub), catering via ezCater, a loyalty rewards program, gift cards, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Wahoo's Fish Taco is a Pacific-inspired fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 1988 by the Lee brothers in Costa Mesa, California. The company operates a multi-location restaurant business across seven regions (Southern California, Northern California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, and Japan). The core product offering consists of fish tacos and Mexican-inspired cuisine featuring proteins including fish (Wahoo and/or Mahi-Mahi), chicken, carne asada, carnitas, shrimp, tofu, and banzai veggies. The menu includes entrees, tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, shared plates, and kids' options. The company also offers catering services, a loyalty rewards program (Wahoo's Rewards), gift cards, and branded merchandise including t-shirts, fleece hoodies, and headwear. Recent menu additions include the Ensenada Fish Taco and Spicy Ensenada Shrimp Taco. Online ordering is available through regional platforms and third-party delivery partners including DoorDash, Grubhub, and ezCater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Menu (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls, Salads, Shared Plates) Made-to-order Pacific-inspired Mexican cuisine served at 30+ dine-in and takeout locations across seven regions. Menu includes fish tacos (Ensenada Fish Taco, 805 Battered Fish Taco), street tacos, burritos (Hawaiian Onion Ring Burrito, Black Bean Rice & Cheese), bowls (Wahoo's Bowl, Maui Steak Bowl, Banzai Bowl, Protein Bowl), salads (Chipotle Salad, Sunset Chopped Chicken Salad), shared plates, kids' items, and customizable proteins including wild-caught fish, Mahi-Mahi, shrimp, chicken, carne asada, carnitas, tofu, and banzai veggies.
• Catering Services Group and event catering available for Colorado and Nevada locations, with ordering through ezCater (ezcater.com) and a dedicated catering email/phone line. Customizable menu options for events, corporate functions, and group meals. Includes a 20% proceeds fundraising program for schools and community groups.
• Wahoo's Rewards Loyalty Program SMS-based loyalty rewards program where enrolled customers opt in to receive promotional and personalized marketing text messages, manage gift card balances, and earn rewards at wahoos.myguestaccount.com.
• Wahoo's Fish Taco Gift Cards Physical gift cards available in denominations of $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, and $100, redeemable at Wahoo's Fish Taco locations; gift cards with a balance of $10 or under may be redeemed for cash at California locations.
• Branded Apparel and Merchandise Branded clothing and accessories sold through wahoos.com/merchandise, including men's and women's t-shirts (Arch Tee, Costa Mesa Tee, First Store Tee, Bones T-shirt, Da Bar Grey T-shirt, Laguna House T-shirt; $20.00 each), fleece zipper hoodies ($30.00 each), headwear, and other accessories in sizes up to 3XLarge.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoorDash is listed as a trusted delivery partner enabling out-of-store food delivery for Wahoo's Fish Taco. DoorDash handles last-mile delivery logistics, expanding Wahoo's delivery reach to customers who prefer ordering through the DoorDash marketplace. Mentioned alongside Grubhub as part of Wahoo's expanded pickup and delivery services.
• GrubhubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrubhub is listed as a trusted delivery partner alongside DoorDash. Grubhub handles delivery logistics for Wahoo's online orders, providing a marketplace channel for food delivery. Mentioned in Wahoo's safety commitment as part of expanded delivery services.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorezCater is the catering marketplace partner for Wahoo's Fish Taco in Colorado and Nevada regions. Customers can place catering orders for events and group dining through the ezCater platform (ezcater.com). This partnership enables Wahoo's to reach B2B customers and corporate catering demand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rubio's Coastal Grill: Seafood-focused Mexican fast-casual chain most directly comparable to Wahoo's. Both brands anchor menus on fish tacos, share a Southern California origin, and compete for the same health-conscious, fish-leaning fast-casual customer.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Southwest/Mexican chain operating hundreds of locations. Direct comparable on format (counter-service burrito/bowl/taco), target customer, and price point, though broader in protein offerings.
• Baja Fresh Mexican Grill: Fresh-Mex fast-casual chain founded in California with a similar menu structure (tacos, burritos, bowls) and a grill-fired, fresh-prep positioning. Direct menu overlap makes it a relevant comparable for Wahoo's.
• Freebirds World Burrito: Texas-originated fast-casual burrito chain with a similar counter-service, customizable-format model. Overlaps with Wahoo's on burrito/bowl menu architecture and casual-dining customer base.
• Pacific Catch Restaurant: Bay Area-based Pacific-inspired fast-casual concept featuring fish bowls, tacos, and seafood entrees. Highly comparable to Wahoo's on cuisine theme (Pacific Rim), target customer (California coastal), and menu architecture (bowls, tacos, seafood proteins).

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Dominant national fast-casual Mexican chain. Not seafood-focused, but is the category-defining incumbent that sets customer expectations for fast-casual Mexican and constrains the addressable market for differentiated players like Wahoo's.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain offering tacos, burritos, and bowls. A broader incumbent in the same category, useful for benchmarking AUVs, digital ordering scale, and category-level unit economics.
• Captain D's: Largest seafood-focused QSR chain in the US, operating hundreds of locations. A broad seafood incumbent that competes for seafood-seeking quick-service occasions, though at a lower price point and less differentiated menu than Wahoo's.

Emerging players

• Torchy's Tacos: Fast-growing fast-casual taco concept with a premium, chef-driven menu. Comparable on taco-centric menu and counter-service format; useful for understanding premium-positioning benchmarks within the broader taco category.
• Shaka Bowl: Hawaiian/Pacific-inspired bowl concept serving poke, fish, and plate-lunch fare. Comparable to Wahoo's on Pacific-cuisine theme and on the customizable protein-bowl format that overlaps with Wahoo's Bowl and Banzai Bowl.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WahoosColorado
• Facebookfacebook.com/WahoosFishTaco
• Instagraminstagram.com/wahoosfishtaco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/96343

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wahoo's Fish Taco