Qdoba
Qdoba franchises operate high-quality, Mexican-themed quick-service or fast-casual restaurants where guests customize burritos, bowls, tacos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, chips, dips like queso and guacamole, and drinks using fresh, in-house prepared ingredients. The business model grants franchises or development rights to use Qdoba's trademarks, proprietary system, operational standards, manuals, training, and marketing programs for operating restaurants in approved locations, primarily strip centers or freestanding buildings. Target market includes urban and suburban consumers seeking value-priced, personalized Mexican meals, competing with other fast-casual and quick-service chains.
Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 4.5% marketing fund + $769-$1,485/mo fixed fees (IT base/support, LMS, Q-Cash)
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 318 traditional, franchised Qdoba restaurants which have reported financial information through our online portal for a trailing twelve month period.
* Average Gross Revenue (Net Restaurant Sales) and Median Gross Revenue extracted from 'Historical Average Sales, Selected Costs and Operating Results' table (page 3). Revenue Top/Bottom Quartile extracted from 'Chart 2: Franchised Qdoba Restaurants - Historical Average Net, Median and Low / High Restaurant Net Sales' table (page 2). Average EBITDA and its low/high range extracted from 'Proforma Franchisee EBITDA - including fees' row in the 'Historical Average Sales, Selected Costs and Operating Results' table (page 4). EBITDA margin calculated as Average EBITDA / Average Gross Revenue (263,398 / 1,643,653).
Extracted Item 19 Section
How Qdoba Compares
Key Insights
- Top 10 largest franchise system in Fast Casual
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Fast Casual
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Qdoba Current | $546K – $1.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 613 |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT) | $379K – $1.4M | $20K | 6.0% | 1,248 |
| Zaxby's | $1.4M – $3.8M | $35K | 6.0% | 826 |
| CHICK-FIL-A License Program | $586K – $3.3M | N/A | 10.0% | 412 |
Fast Casual Average 107 franchises | $532K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+33 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for Qdoba franchisees (2010 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
632 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
632 Contacts Available
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Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily termination disputes, breach of contract, and related claims by franchisees or former franchisees.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Qdoba franchise ranges from $545,500 to $1,294,000. This includes a franchise fee of $40,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
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