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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| 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. It serves Mexican-style food in a "fast casual" way. This means you get your food quickly, but it's often made with fresh ingredients and is higher quality than typical fast food. Qdoba was once owned by Jack in the Box. Later, it was sold to a group of investors led by Apollo Global Management. 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
Starting as Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill
The Qdoba story began in 1995 in Denver, Colorado. Two friends, Anthony Miller and Robert Hauser, opened a restaurant called Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill. Robert Hauser created most of the recipes. He wanted the food to be healthier. He used vegetable oils instead of animal fats and added lots of fresh vegetables and herbs. The first restaurant was very popular. People often waited in long lines to get their food. Even with many customers, it usually took only about seven minutes to get served. The name "Zuma" was just a made-up word.
Changing Names: Z-Teca and Qdoba
In 1997, the restaurant's name had to change. Another restaurant in Boston was already using the name "Zuma." Also, there was a similar-sounding chain in Denver. So, the company changed its name to Z-Teca Mexican Grill. Around this time, Z-Teca started letting other business owners open their own Z-Teca restaurants as franchises. This helped the chain grow outside of Colorado.
By 1998, Z-Teca had 21 locations in 9 states. Investors put money into the company to help it open even more restaurants. But the name "Z-Teca" also caused problems. Other restaurants had similar names, leading to more lawsuits. To fix this, a new name was created in 1999: Qdoba. This new name helped the company avoid confusion and legal issues.
Growth and New Ownership
In 2003, a large restaurant company called Jack in the Box bought Qdoba for $45 million. This helped Qdoba grow even more. Over the years, Qdoba's leadership changed several times. In 2013, Tim Casey became the CEO. Later, Keith Guilbault took over in 2016.
By 2013, Qdoba had more than 600 restaurants across the United States. In 2014, Qdoba changed its pricing. They made it "all-inclusive." This meant the price depended on the type of meat you chose. But it included all the "extras" like guacamole and queso sauce for free. Before, these extras cost more.
In 2015, Qdoba changed its trade name to Qdoba Mexican Eats. This was done to help the restaurants stand out from other similar places. By 2016, Qdoba had 650 restaurants in 47 states and Canada.
Recent Changes and Leadership
In 2017, a group of investors led by Apollo Global Management bought Qdoba for about $305 million. This sale was completed in March 2018. After this, Keith Guilbault became the Chief Executive Officer.
In 2022, Qdoba was bought again, this time by Butterfly Equity. This company specializes in food businesses. As of 2023, Qdoba had nearly 750 locations. In January 2023, John Cywinski became the CEO of Modern Restaurant Concepts, which is Qdoba's parent company under Butterfly Equity.
Qdoba's Owners: Butterfly Equity
Qdoba is now part of Modern Restaurant Concepts. This company is owned by Butterfly Equity. Butterfly Equity is a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, California. They focus on investing in food companies. Under Butterfly's ownership, Qdoba has been growing. In 2023, Qdoba opened 40 new restaurants. They plan to open 60 more in 2024. Starting in 2025, they aim to open over 80 new restaurants each year.
Qdoba Around the World
Qdoba in Canada
Qdoba has expanded beyond the United States. The first Qdoba restaurant in Canada opened on December 3, 2012, in Brandon, Manitoba. A few months later, a second location opened in London, Ontario. By October 2023, there were 12 Qdoba locations in Canada. Currently, Qdoba restaurants are only found in the United States and Canada.
What's on the Menu?
Qdoba serves burritos that are made in the San Francisco style. This means they are often large and packed with ingredients. You can also find other tasty items like tacos, quesadillas, chile con queso (a cheesy dip), and tortilla soup.
When you order at Qdoba, you choose your main dish first. Then, you pick all the ingredients you want inside. Everything is made right in front of you. This lets you see how fresh your food is. Some Qdoba locations even serve breakfast. A few are open 24 hours on weekends.
Qdoba also has restaurants in special places. You might find them on college campuses. Some even accept college meal plans. They also have locations on some U.S. military bases through agreements with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
Who Are Qdoba's Rivals?
Qdoba has several main competitors in the fast-casual Mexican food world. These include Chipotle Mexican Grill, which also started in Denver. Other rivals are Baja Fresh, Moe's Southwest Grill, Panchero's Mexican Grill, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill, and Rubio's Coastal Grill.
See also
- List of Mexican restaurants
