Qdoba plans 2025 expansion in...
Qdoba Mexican Eats is touting several new franchise agreements to help grow its footprint in the new year.
The fast-casual Mexican chain says it will expand its store count across the country in 2025 through several deals, with major plans to open new restaurants in the Northeast, Midwest and beyond. In 2024, Qdoba celebrated 16 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales and 22 new franchise signings nationwide.
"As we kick off 2025, QDOBA's growth has never been stronger," said Jeremy Vitaro, Qdoba’s chief development officer who joined the restaurant last March. "Strong sales, strategic incentives, and experienced operators reflect the strength of our brand. We're proud to partner with franchisees who share our vision for delivering bold flavors and quality dining experiences to communities nationwide, setting the stage for long-term success."
Among Qdoba’s franchise agreements is a significant deal with APR Island Management/Cafua Management, led by Mark, David and Greg Cafua alongside Ricardo Gonzalez. As the largest Dunkin' franchisee in the United States, Cafua Management has committed to developing 20 Qdoba restaurants in New Hampshire and Rhode Island, building on their 2024 agreement to develop five restaurants in Pennsylvania.
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"After more than 40 years in the quick-service industry, we chose to invest in the fast-casual market, and Qdoba stood out for its fresh, customizable meals and loyal customer base," shared Mark Cafua. "Qdoba's strong track record, exceptional franchisee support, and scalability made it the right fit.”
Other recent franchise agreements include the following:
- Entrepreneurs Jay and Ahmad Jabbar have signed on for five new restaurants in New Orleans, expanding the Qdoba’s presence in Louisiana.
- Spork Restaurant Holdings has committed to bringing 12 restaurants in Kansas City and surrounding counties in Missouri.
- Holy Moley Guacamole, LLC has committed to build fifteen new restaurants in Lake and DuPage counties throughout Illinois.
- Boost Enterprises has committed to bring eight Qdoba locations to Savannah, Ga.
- OM Group has expanded its development agreement with Qdoba, adding six more units in Cleveland and Toledo.
- Other franchisees making additional commitments include Qdoba Cincinnati, adding three restaurants in Ohio; Goraya, committing to three restaurants in Baltimore; Patel, adding one restaurant in Fort Morgan, Colo.; and Golden Maize Restaurants, LLC, signing for four new locations in Connecticut.
- On the non-traditional front, multi-unit operator group ELPX Restaurant Group, LLC plans to expand the Qdoba footprint globally within multiple U.S. military installations beginning in 2025.
Last year, Qdoba announced a new program to incentivize franchise growth. Qualified franchisees can receive $100,000 in cash after opening for any commitments to open new restaurants by September 2026. The incentive is available to new franchisees dedicated to multi-unit development and existing franchisees adding incremental restaurants to their development growth plans.
Based in San Diego, Qdoba operates approximately 800 locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
