Qdoba facts for kids
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A Qdoba Mexican Eats in Gillette, Wyoming
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Trade name
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Qdoba Mexican Eats |
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Formerly
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast Casual |
| Founded | 1995 as Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill in Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Headquarters | 350 Camino De La Reina #400, San Diego, California, United States |
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Number of locations
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750+ (as of 2023[update]) |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | Burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, taco salads |
| Owner | Butterfly Equity |
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Number of employees
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Over 16,000 (2023) |
Qdoba (pronounced kew-DOH-buh) is a popular chain of restaurants in the United States and Canada. They serve Mexican-style food in a "fast casual" way. This means you get your food quickly, but it's usually made with fresher ingredients than typical fast-food places.
Qdoba was once owned by a company called Jack in the Box. In 2018, it was sold to a group of investors. Then, in 2022, a company called Butterfly Equity bought Qdoba. Today, Qdoba has almost 750 locations across North America. It is one of the biggest Mexican fast-casual restaurant chains.
Contents
The Story of Qdoba
Qdoba started in 1995 in Denver, Colorado. It was first called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill. Two friends, Anthony Miller and Robert Hauser, opened the first restaurant. Anthony Miller had worked in finance, and Robert Hauser was a chef.
Robert Hauser created most of the recipes. He wanted the food to be healthier. So, he used vegetable oils instead of animal fats. He also added more fresh vegetables and herbs. The first restaurant was very popular right away.
The first restaurant in Denver made a lot of money in its first year. It cost only $180,000 to open the store.
In 1997, the company changed its name to Z-Teca Mexican Grill. This was because another restaurant already used the name Zuma. Also, there was a similar-sounding chain nearby. Around this time, Z-Teca started letting other people open their own Z-Teca restaurants as franchises. This helped the company grow.
By 1998, Z-Teca had 21 locations in 9 different states. A chicken burrito cost about $4.79 back then. By the end of 1999, they had 49 locations in 19 states.
The name Z-Teca also caused some problems. Other restaurants had similar names. So, in 1999, the company came up with a new name: Qdoba. This new name helped them avoid confusion with other restaurants.
In 2003, a company called Jack in the Box bought Qdoba for $45 million. Qdoba then became part of Jack in the Box.
Over the years, Qdoba continued to grow. In 2013, they closed some restaurants that were not doing well. But by the end of 2013, Qdoba had over 600 locations across the United States.
In 2014, Qdoba changed how they priced their food. They made it "all-inclusive." This meant the price depended only on the type of meat you chose. All the "extras," like guacamole and queso (cheese sauce), were included for free. This was great for people who liked a lot of toppings!
In 2015, Qdoba changed its trade name to Qdoba Mexican Eats. They did this to help people tell them apart from other similar restaurants. By 2016, Qdoba had 650 restaurants in 47 states and Canada.
In 2017, a group of investors led by Apollo Global Management bought Qdoba. They paid about $305 million. The sale was finished in 2018. After this, Qdoba moved its main office to San Diego, California.
In 2022, Qdoba was bought by Butterfly Equity. This company also owns other "better-for-you" fast-casual restaurants. At the time, Qdoba had almost 750 locations. In 2023, a new CEO, John Cywinski, took over Qdoba's parent company.
Who Owns Qdoba Now?
Qdoba is currently owned by Modern Restaurant Concepts. This company is part of Butterfly Equity. Butterfly Equity is a company that invests in food businesses.
Under Butterfly's ownership, Qdoba is planning to open many new restaurants. They opened 40 new locations in 2023. They plan to open 60 in 2024 and over 80 new restaurants each year starting in 2025.
Qdoba Around the World
Qdoba has restaurants in the United States and Canada. The first Qdoba in Canada opened in Brandon, Manitoba, in 2012. As of October 2023, there are 12 Qdoba locations in Canada. Qdoba does not have restaurants in any other countries.
What's on the Menu?
Qdoba serves burritos that are made in the San Francisco style. They also offer other tasty foods like tacos, quesadillas, chile con queso (cheese dip), and tortilla soup.
When you order at Qdoba, you first pick what kind of meal you want. Then, you choose all the ingredients you like. All the food is made right in front of you.
Some Qdoba locations also serve breakfast. A few are even open 24 hours on weekends! You can find Qdoba restaurants in different places, like on college campuses. Some college students can even use their meal plans to eat at Qdoba. Qdoba also has restaurants on some U.S. military bases.
Qdoba's Rivals
Qdoba has several main competitors in the fast-casual Mexican food world. These include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Baja Fresh, and Moe's Southwest Grill. Other competitors are Panchero's Mexican Grill, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill, and Rubio's Coastal Grill.
See also
- List of Mexican restaurants
