San Diego — QDOBA Mexican Eats has signed new development agreements with several leading multi-brand operators, totaling nearly 90 new restaurants and fueling growth across the Eastern U.S. With these signings, QDOBA now has more than 650 development commitments in its pipeline.
QDOBA signed a 35-restaurant development agreement with The Rose Group, plus two acquired corporate locations in State College and Williamsport, Pa., spanning key markets in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. The Rose Group operates 55 Applebee’s Grill + Bar restaurants and Shannon Rose Irish Pubs across the Mid-Atlantic.
QDOBA signed a 27-restaurant development agreement with Doherty Enterprises across Northern and Central New Jersey and New York’s Hudson Valley and Capital Region. Doherty Enterprises operates more than 140 restaurants across several brands, including Applebee’s and Panera Bread, with a long track record of scaling concepts across the Northeast and Southeast.
QDOBA expanded its development agreement with Cafua Management Company with an incremental 25-restaurant commitment across Central and Upstate New York, including the Finger Lakes and Mohawk Valley. Cafua Management Company is the largest private Dunkin’ franchisee in the world, with more than 200 locations.
QDOBA has expanded its relationship with The Tattva Group led by Neil Patel, a 75+ unit multi-brand operator across brands including Dunkin’, Little Caesars, Buffalo Wild Wings GO and Jimmy John’s, which acquired QDOBA restaurants in South-Central Pennsylvania and signed on for additional development in the region.
These agreements are part of QDOBA’s broader franchise development strategy to grow with experienced multi-unit operators who are adding Mexican fast-casual to portfolios built around brands like Applebee’s, Panera Bread and Dunkin’. Multi-brand franchisees now operate roughly 80% of QDOBA’s restaurants, and the brand is targeting more than 100 openings per year by 2027 on the path to roughly doubling its U.S. footprint by 2032.
QDOBA is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with 830 locations in 45 states across the U.S., as well as in Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and South Korea. For more information, visit www.QDOBA.com.
SOURCE: QDOBA