Farmer Boys opened its sixth Arizona restaurant in Mesa in August, part of a broader expansion push that also brought the Southern California burger chain back to the Coachella Valley for the first time in more than two decades. The growth is being driven largely by two multi-unit franchisees, Omar Mawas and Dilip Bhavnani, who together have planted Farmer Boys flags from the Phoenix suburbs to the California desert.
Mesa Becomes Mawas's Latest Arizona Stop
Mawas launched his most recent restaurant in August in Mesa, Arizona, according to FranchiseWire, which reported the new location brought Farmer Boys' Arizona count to six restaurants. That timeline follows an earlier report from WhatNow, which said the Mesa restaurant, located at 3445 S. Ellsworth Road, had been planned for a May 2026 opening. The dossier does not reconcile the two timelines, but the Mesa restaurant is now open and operating as Farmer Boys' sixth Arizona location.
Per the chain's own location page, the Mesa restaurant offers mobile ordering, drive-through service and pickup, along with access to the Very Important Farmer loyalty club. Mawas brought the Farmer Boys franchise to Arizona in 2021 when he opened a location in Gilbert, FranchiseWire's report notes, and he has continued building out the state ever since. He opened his first Farmer Boys location in California back in 2007 and now operates restaurants in Arizona, Los Angeles and San Diego.
A Growing Footprint and a Brand Ambassador
Mawas now has nine Farmer Boys locations open with four more in development, the same report states. John Lucas, vice president of franchise development for Farmer Boys, said Mawas helped establish the brand throughout Arizona and has served as a strong brand ambassador for the company, the outlet reported. Mawas himself said the growth has been rewarding, adding that guests have embraced the chain's fresh ingredients, made-to-order meals and hospitality, per the same account.
Cathedral City Marks a Coachella Valley Return
While Mawas has been building in Arizona, Dilip Bhavnani has been expanding Farmer Boys' presence back home in California. Bhavnani opened a Cathedral City location in April, FranchiseWire reported, marking the first new Farmer Boys restaurant in the Coachella Valley in more than 20 years. The new spot sits on East Palm Canyon and became the chain's second Coachella Valley location, joining an existing restaurant in Indio, according to NBC Palm Springs.
Bhavnani, described by the trade outlet as a restaurant industry veteran of more than 30 years, joined the Farmer Boys franchise in 2003 with his first location in Pomona, California. He also owns Farmer Boys stores in Chino and Huntington Beach. He said the Cathedral City restaurant is his fourth Farmer Boys franchise and that the market was ready for another location, the franchise trade publication reported. Lucas said Farmer Boys is seeking additional sites throughout the Coachella Valley.
From Five Brothers to a Multi-State Chain
Farmer Boys traces its roots to five brothers who grew up working on their family farm on the island of Cyprus before buying a restaurant in Torrance, California, in 1979 and opening their first Farmer Boys location in Perris, California, in 1981. The company began franchising in 1995 and has since grown to more than 100 restaurant locations across California, Arizona and Nevada, according to FranchiseWire. The chain is still described by the outlet as a family business, built around a menu that includes burgers made from never-frozen beef, hand-chopped salads with produce delivered fresh daily, and all-day breakfast with cage-free eggs.
Farmer Boys restaurants offer dine-in, drive-thru and online ordering, with the Very Important Farmer app handling offers and rewards. The company has previously said Arizona continues to be an important growth market, according to a Farmer Boys press release, and it has several additional Arizona restaurants in development, including locations in Goodyear and Surprise, per KTAR News. The chain has also been pursuing franchise growth opportunities in new markets across California, Arizona and Nevada, recently opening its first Santa Clarita, California location to expand its Los Angeles County footprint, according to RestaurantNews.com.
Industry Recognition and a Bigger Market Picture
The expansion comes as Farmer Boys has picked up a string of industry accolades. The chain ranked No. 2 for best fast-food breakfast and No. 2 for best fast-food fries in USA Today's Readers' Choice Awards, and No. 4 for best regional fast food, FranchiseWire reported. USA Today had previously named Farmer Boys fries the best fast-food fries in 2023, WhatNow noted. Fast Casual ranked the chain No. 10 among its 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers, and RestaurantNews.com reported Farmer Boys was later ranked No. 58 in the 2026 edition of that same list.
The expansion also lands amid broader growth in the farm-to-table dining sector. The global farm-to-table market was estimated at $14.5 billion in 2026 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate above 10%, reaching $28.4 billion by 2033, according to FranchiseWire's reporting. For now, the chain's immediate growth remains concentrated where it has long operated, with Mesa and Cathedral City the latest additions to a map that continues to fill in across California, Arizona and Nevada.
