Wahoo’s Fish Taco Buys Bigger Pond
By JENNIFER BELLANTONIO
Wahoo’s Fish Taco has paid nearly $5 million for a Santa Ana building and relocated its headquarters.
Wahoo’s is taking up a little more than half of the 14,000-square-foot building at 2855 Pullman St. near the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway, said Wing Lam, one of the cofounders and owners of the Mexican chain. The company plans to lease out the rest of the space, he said.
The new building is big for Wahoo’s, which was in about 4,000 square feet of space at its old Santa Ana building.
Brad Rodgers of Curtis & Associates in Anaheim represented Wahoo’s in the buy. John Griffin of Voit Commercial Brokerage in Orange represented the seller, Newport Beach-based Turner Development Corp.
Wahoo’s is beefing up its administrative staff to support the chain’s growth, Lam said.
“We hired a few people already and we’ll probably hire a few more,” he said.
The company recently opened its 28th location,a 2,500-square-foot eatery in the Irvine Spectrum. Wahoo’s has at least five more restaurants planned for 2003, Lam said.
“It’s going like gangbusters,” he said.
So far, leases have been signed in Fashion Island, San Diego’s Point Loma and Mission Valley, and Valencia. Wahoo’s also is in talks for leases in Foothill Ranch and other areas, Lam said.
Ed Lee, Lam’s brother and partner, handles real estate development and is scouting potential spots, he said.
“At the pace we’re going we could have 40 to 50 stores in three years,” depending on the market conditions, Lam said.
The new headquarters is being used for offices and to warehouse Wahoo’s merchandise, such as shirts.
“I don’t have to work out of a conference room,” Lam said. “I have an office. My goal is to be better organized.”
Wahoo’s also operates in Colorado. Earlier this year, Wahoo’s opened its seventh Colorado restaurant and expects one more by year’s end.
