ANAHEIM HILLS, CA (August 26, 2022) - WaBa Grill, one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains, has signed a 20-unit Northern California development deal during its second quarter. Following an impressive first quarter, second quarter same store sales (SSS) rose to $43.7 million — up 2.2% from the previous year. Second quarter total system sales (TSS) reached $45.1 million — an increase of 4.3% compared to the same prior-year period. WaBa Grill is tracking toward a third-consecutive year of record growth.
 
“The record-breaking success WaBa Grill experienced last year was phenomenal, and we’re grateful to our dedicated franchise partners and corporate team who have helped us carry this tremendous momentum through the first half of 2022,” says Andrew Kim, president & CEO of WaBa Grill. “As we pass the mid-year mark and reflect on the year’s accomplishments through the first half of 2022, I am honored to be part of this organization, which includes a motivated and inspiring network of franchisees and corporate employees that are committed to demonstrating to new and existing guests the multifaceted appeal of the WaBa Grill brand.”
Many new initiatives contributed to WaBa Grill’s second quarter success. The newly launched WaBa Text Club, which debuted in the beginning of the year, directly engages with a new host of WaBa fans where they prefer to receive their news and offers. In Q2, WaBa also onboarded Caviar as a third-party delivery service partner to further expand the brand’s digital reach for new and existing customers. Digital sales, which include online orders, third-party delivery and the WaBa Rewards App, remain consistent and have accounted for nearly 25% of sales for the past 12 months.
 
Franchise growth also continues to propel WaBa’s success. In the second quarter, WaBa Grill signed several multi-unit agreements that will bring the healthy rice bowl chain to various new markets, including a development deal to open 20 units throughout Northern California, a completely untapped territory for the brand. This deal comes soon after an 8-store development deal signed in May to develop WaBa Grill throughout Clark County, Nev., including Las Vegas and Henderson. While earlier in the year, WaBa announced a 13-store development deal for the area between Bakersfield and Fresno. All multi-unit deals were signed with current WaBa Grill franchisees who own and operate WaBa Grill locations throughout Southern California. “Even as we near our 200-restaurant milestone, we remain committed to growth,” says Vivian Mendoza, director of marketing at WaBa Grill. WaBa Grill, founded in 2006, has nearly 200 locations. For more information, visit www.wabagrill.com/franchise.