American Restaurant Holdings Inc. in Irvine said an affiliate bought the five Orange County locations of Costa Mesa-based Fresca’s Mexican Grill.
Fresca’s had eight restaurants total, but American Restaurant Holdings Controller Alitza Carroll didn’t know the status of the other three.
Fresca’s also has a catering division based at its Costa Mesa restaurant, Carroll said.
“We look forward to opening … corporate stores while also franchising the Fresca’s brand,” Chief Executive Tim Betts said in a statement.
The company has said it wants to buy multiunit fast-casual brands and single-unit restaurants.
Another affiliate of publicly traded American Restaurant Holdings bought the 55-unit, health-oriented, fast-casual chain Muscle Maker Grill in Colonia, N.J., in January.
American Restaurant also runs JoJo’s Pizza Kitchen, with restaurants in Brea, Chino Hills, and Mira Loma, and two single-unit restaurants: Canyon Fireside Grille in Rancho Santa Margarita and Fronteras Mexican Grill and Cantina in Alhambra.
Monarch Bay Securities LLC in Newport Beach represented Fresca’s, American Restaurant said.