As Armando Christian Perez puts it, his partnership with Fransmart is “a match made in heaven.”
Perez, better known to most as the rapper Pitbull, formed a partnership with franchise development company Fransmart to help grow Latino-owned brands.
Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe recalls Perez asking why most Latin brands are owned and ran by white people, rather than Latinos. “And I’m like, ‘That’s a good question,’” Rowe said. Rowe’s southern California upbringing introduced him to authentic Mexican food, which he loves. “I don’t know why no one has ever actually grown a real, authentic Latin brand.”
That mission is important to Perez, the son of Cuban immigrants. “I’ve been very, very blessed,” he said. “Music has given me the outlet and the escape of, I would say, the environment that I was brought up in. So I wanted to be able to do the same. I feel that it’s not a responsibility to give back, it should be an obligation for a lot of people out there. A lot of people out there talk a good game, but they don’t literally put their money where their mouth is.”
This isn’t Perez’ first stint with franchising. In the early 2010s, he invested in Miami Subs and had development rights in parts of Latin America.
Fransmart was behind the expansion of brands like Qdoba and Five Guys—which brought in $1 billion and $3 billion in 2022, respectively. The company is also in the midst of growing emerging brands Schmackary’s and Glo30.
Related: ‘Real Housewives’ Star Robyn Dixon Invests With Glo30
‘That’s immigrant drive’
Fransmart and Perez’ first brand they’re targeting for growth is Chicago-based Cilantro Taco Grill. Temoc Morfin, a Mexican immigrant, founded Cilantro in 2013 in Chicago. Morfin’s parents brought him and his 10 siblings to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1981. He recalls his father working three jobs and his siblings taking on jobs when they could as well.
“I was the first one to go to college. It was a challenge,” Morfin said. Despite his father’s disapproval, Morfin wanted to study political science. “My dad was never in agreement. He said politics is really not for you, you should be an entrepreneur, you should have your own business.”
After working in politics and even running for public office. After losing in a close race, Morfin finally realized, “My dad is absolutely right,” he said. Morfin decided to open a fast-casual restaurant with authentic Mexican recipes, with the goal of franchising one day.
“At first, in a heavy Hispanic area, people were a little skeptical about going into Cilantro Taco Grill because they thought it was like Chipotle, it was Americanized Mexican food,” Morfin said. “So the people start coming in and they realize this is really authentic.”
Now, the brand has 15 stores open and more on the way.
“The food is amazing, but with that said, it has the TLC,” Perez said. “That’s immigrant drive. Them coming over from Mexico and saying, one way or another, we’re going to make this happen, with all odds against them. I understand that, I relate to that. I root for and will forever be an underdog.”
Morfin wants to create a path for his longtime employees to become franchisees. “One of the visions that all three of us share is that we want to help other families become successful,” Morfin said.
Fransmart plans to bring Cilantro into the 100 biggest North American markets, Rowe said. “It’s the same playbook we went to with Five Guys or Qdoba,” he said.
Rowe expects two or three multi-unit franchisees signed by the end of 2023 and another 10 to 15 by the end of 2024. Fransmart is looking for franchisees who want to open a lot of stores. “Before you know it, I think 50 franchisees are going to own 1,000 locations,” in the United States and Canada, Rowe said.
Going forward, Perez and Fransmart are looking for brands with great food and “a real story,” Perez said. “We look for those that have fought and clawed and grind and sacrificed to get where they’re at, because that comes with a different level of humility, and it comes with a different level of appreciation.”