Costa Vida Sees Major Growth, Outpaces Fast Casual Segment in 2017

SALT LAKE CITY, UT--(Marketwired - December 13, 2017) - Costa Vida, a fresh and fast 94-unit casual chain known for its vibrant and innovative Mexican cuisine, experienced major growth nationwide in 2017 and is looking forward to increased opportunities in 2018. In fact, Costa Vida franchisees saw a 10.8% growth in average revenues last year, outpacing both the rest of the fast-casual segment and the restaurant industry overall, an accomplishment which can be partially credited to the chain's increased customer convenience options and dedicated community outreach.

"At Costa Vida, we have always prided ourselves on the ability to offer a fresh and fast franchise opportunity to franchisees and enable them to consistently grow," said Dave Rutter, president and CEO, Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill. "Our strategy to best serve our customers is constantly evolving, for instance the inclusion of drive-thrus or in-app ordering, which we've seen drive significant growth year-over-year."

Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill's fast casual concept launched with the idea that fresh, whole food prepared on site is best. The national chain has been preparing and serving fresh, made-to-order entrées since day one, catering to a customer who values flavor, freshness, wholesomeness, and order customization. This approach is resonating with consumers as same store sales growth numbers consistently outpace the growth numbers reported for the fast-casual industry overall.

The chain has also enacted customer convenience options that propel growth including:

• A proprietary system specifically designed to keep restaurant operations cost-efficient
• Balancing large-batch cooking methods, portion and inventory management to aid in food prep, minimizing costly food waste
• A streamlined ordering service saving each guest time and hassle
• Carryout services and drive-thrus
• Online ordering via apps and online

Increased drive-thru options are also propelling Costa Vida's growth with drive-thru services available at 19 out of 90 locations. These drive-thrus have brought in about $20,000 in sales per week to Costa Vida franchisees. Additionally, Costa Vida's varied ordering options -- including phone and online ordering, along with off-site catering -- account for roughly eleven percent of sales.

"2017 has been an incredibly positive, profitable year for Costa Vida," Rutter continued. "Our company looks forward to continuing on this profitable growth trajectory, with a continued focus on serving our customers and communities nationwide."

When it comes to serving others, Costa Vida is committed to "serving those who serve" with charitable contributions to local communities in need, meal donations to volunteer events, and more. Costa Vida is capping off these charitable efforts with an end-of-year program in Salt Lake City by giving away an estimated 1,200 free meals to a variety of non-profit organizations (valued at roughly $15,000) as party of their 12 Days of Serving Those Who Serve program.

Costa Vida offers a variety of custom, made-to-order items such as hand-crafted tortillas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, salads and nachos. To find your nearest Costa Vida location, visit http://www.costavida.com/locations/.

About Costa Vida
Costa Vida is a fast-casual restaurant inspired by the fresh tasting foods and vibrant lifestyle from the coast of Mexico. Costa Vida's food is created every day from scratch using quality ingredients. The menu offers a variety of custom, made-to-order items such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, salads and nachos. Protein choices include sweet pork, grilled chicken, shredded beef, raspberry chipotle chicken, grilled steak and shrimp. As a growing and successful brand, Costa Vida offers exciting and vibrant franchise business opportunities. For more information, visit www.costavida.net.

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