Wahaca
Wahaca is a UK-based, founder-owned Mexican restaurant group operating 14 directly-managed restaurants across London, Brighton, Edinburgh, and Cardiff, serving freshly prepared street food, takeaway, delivery, DTC retail, and private events to mass-market consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wahaca does
Wahaca is a UK-based, founder-owned Mexican restaurant group operating 14 directly-managed restaurants across London (11 sites including Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Southbank, Canary Wharf, Paddington, Oxford Circus, Islington, Wimbledon, White City, Stratford, Waterloo), Brighton, Edinburgh, and Cardiff. The business is registered as Oaxaca Limited in England and Wales, was founded in 2007 by MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby (now CEO), and employs 501-1,000 staff. Core operations center on freshly prepared Mexican street food — tacos, burritos, margaritas, small plates and sunshine bowls — with over 200 ingredients prepared daily and a menu that is majority vegan/vegetarian with gluten-free options. Distribution runs exclusively through company-operated restaurants (no franchise model), supplemented by takeaway (Qikserve-powered click-and-collect), third-party delivery via Deliveroo, an at-home DTC shop selling bottled cocktails, sauces, a cookbook and gift cards, and a group dining / private events motion with custom menus from £22.50 per person. The Casa Wahaca loyalty programme (Airship-powered) captures first-party data including birthday and per-location preferences across all 14 sites.
Revenue mechanics are predominantly transaction-based (dine-in, takeaway, delivery, retail unit sales) with bespoke event pricing for corporate and private hire. Operational technology includes Qikserve for click-and-collect ordering and Deliveroo for delivery, while a May 2026 partnership with Sona deployed AI-powered workforce forecasting and scheduling across the estate using historical POS, bookings and sales data. The brand is positioned around celebrity-chef credibility, sustainability leadership (UK's first carbon-neutral restaurant group, zero-waste commitment, published Modern Slavery, Gender Pay Gap and Environmental/Social policies), and an Oaxaca origin narrative. No external institutional investment, franchise network, or M&A activity is disclosed; expansion to date has been self-funded.
Wahaca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wahaca
- Legal name
- Oaxaca Limited
- Website
- https://wahaca.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Wahaca is a UK-based, founder-owned Mexican restaurant group operating 14 directly-managed restaurants across London, Brighton, Edinburgh, and Cardiff, serving freshly prepared street food, takeaway, delivery, DTC retail, and private events to mass-market consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wahaca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)
Keywords
Where Wahaca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Wahaca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: Full-service dine-in restaurant operations across 14 UK locations, serving Mexican street food, tacos, margaritas and small plates with table service.
- Takeaway & Delivery: Online ordering for collection and delivery via Deliveroo and proprietary ordering platform. Available at all restaurant locations.
- Retail & Merchandise: Online shop selling bottled cocktails (Picante Margarita, Tommi's Margarita at £7.95), Salsa Macha sauce, tequila tasting experiences (£14.95), recipe books by Thomasina Miers (£26), and gift cards (£10+).
- Group Dining & Events: Private hire and group dining packages for 8+ guests with custom menus starting at £22.50 per person, including full restaurant takeovers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual dine-in pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group dining packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wahaca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wahaca operates 14 full-service Mexican restaurants across the UK (primarily London, plus Brighton, Edinburgh, and Cardiff), serving freshly prepared tacos, burritos, margaritas, and small plates inspired by Oaxacan street food. The offering is extended through click-and-collect and Deliveroo delivery, group dining and private event hire (8+ guests), an e-commerce shop selling bottled cocktails, sauces, cookbooks, and gift cards, and the Casa Wahaca loyalty programme.
Product overview
Wahaca is a UK-based Mexican restaurant group operating as a single unified brand across 14 restaurant locations. The core offering is fresh, chef-led Mexican street food including tacos, margaritas, small plates, burritos, and sunshine bowls, prepared with over 200 sustainably sourced ingredients. The brand extends its offering through Casa Wahaca (a loyalty programme with exclusive perks and birthday treats), a direct-to-consumer Shop (selling bottled cocktails, sauces, cookbooks, gift cards, and dining experiences), and group dining/party packages. In May 2026, Wahaca partnered with Sona AI to deploy workforce management technology across its restaurant estate.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Casa Wahaca: Loyalty program offering exclusive perks, birthday treats, and rewards for registered members
Products and services
- Wahaca Restaurants (Dine-in) Full-service dine-in Mexican restaurant experience across 14 UK locations offering à la carte menu of tacos (£7.25-£18.95), burritos (£15.95-£16.95), sunshine bowls, margaritas, and small plates prepared daily from over 200 fresh ingredients. Targeted at walk-in diners, families, and casual diners seeking authentic Mexican street food.
- Takeaway & Delivery Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 ingredients freshly prepared daily across 14 restaurants
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Wahaca
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wahaca technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature1 record
Wahaca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SonacoreAI-powered workforce management platform Sona has signed a deal with Wahaca to deploy its forecasting and scheduling technology across Wahaca's restaurant estate. The partnership leverages historical POS, bookings, and sales data to optimize staff deployment and drive operational efficiency. Sona recently closed a $45 million Series B funding round and counts Popeyes among its existing clients.
- Compass GroupminorWahaca and Compass Group joined a campaign to double bean consumption by 2028, promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits through increased legume consumption.
- DeliveroocoreDelivery partnership for home delivery of food items and bottled cocktails. Customers can purchase Wahaca products including Picante Margarita, Tommi's Margarita, and Salsa Macha through Deliveroo.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wahaca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wahaca social profiles
Digital presenceWahaca compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Wahaca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wahaca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wahaca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wahaca M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wahaca
What does Wahaca do?
Wahaca operates 14 full-service Mexican restaurants across the UK (primarily London, plus Brighton, Edinburgh, and Cardiff), serving freshly prepared tacos, burritos, margaritas, and small plates inspired by Oaxacan street food. The offering is extended through click-and-collect and Deliveroo delivery, group dining and private event hire (8+ guests), an e-commerce shop selling bottled cocktails, sauces, cookbooks, and gift cards, and the Casa Wahaca loyalty programme.
Is Wahaca a public or private company?
Wahaca is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wahaca founded?
Wahaca was founded in 2007. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Wahaca based?
Wahaca is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Wahaca make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining is the primary driver. The others are takeaway & Delivery, retail & Merchandise and group Dining & Events.
Does Wahaca have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wahaca.
What industry is Wahaca in?
Wahaca's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAC, Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFAAAE, Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.