Qdoba Inks 22 New Franchise Agreements in 2024

Qdoba, which calls itself America’s No. 2 restaurant brand in the Mexican fast-casual category, ended its fiscal year on a high note.

Along with continuing positive same-store sales and investments in store remodels and upgrades, the company had 22 new franchise signings nationwide. New agreements include the following:

• Thrive Restaurant Group committing to develop 30 restaurants in North and South Carolina
• Q Eats LLC signing on for 15 restaurants across Greater Houston
• Golden Maize Restaurants planning five new locations in Westchester County in New York
• Cafua Management Co. and Mountain View Management expanding with five new restaurants in Pennsylvania, with further growth anticipated across Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and other markets.

Earlier this year, Qdoba made plans to expand into major markets like Portland, Chicago, Greensboro, Reno and the greater Washington, D.C. area. Internationally, Qdoba continued its partnership with the Army & Air Force Exchange Services to open its first-ever locations in Asia, marking a milestone with restaurants at military bases in Okinawa, Japan and South Korea.

In October, Qdoba hired Kevin Carroll as COO, and shared its plan to double the size of its current footprint from about 800 stores to more than 1,600 over the next decade.