- Qdoba plans to expand in Utah, targeting Salt Lake City and St. George.
- The growth plan is part of an agreement to add 50 locations in five states.
- Qdoba has over 800 locations worldwide, and now has 600 more in its development pipeline.
SALT LAKE CITY — A popular fast-casual Mexican food chain is looking to expand its presence in Utah as part of a plan to add dozens of new locations across the U.S. as it seeks to double in size over the next decade.
Qdoba Mexican Eats reached a franchise development agreement with B Wild Investments on a plan to develop 50 restaurant locations across Utah, Alaska, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, the two sides announced on Tuesday.
While it wasn't immediately clear how many of those locations would be in Utah, the plan includes an initial focus on developing within the Salt Lake City and St. George markets in Utah, as well as the Las Vegas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, areas, said Barry Dubin, founder and CEO of B Wild Investments.
"We are excited to be acquiring a scaled platform of high-quality assets while signing an agreement to perpetuate the growth of Qdoba in very attractive territories," he said in a statement. "We have significant trust and confidence in Qdoba's leadership team."
Qdoba, headquartered in San Diego, has more than 800 locations scattered across the world since it first opened in 1995, including 45 states, but it doesn't have much of a presence in Utah. The chain currently has two locations in the state, which are located on the campuses of Weber State University in Ogden and Utah Tech University in St. George, per the company.
But Tuesday's announcement, mixed with adding 20 new franchisees across the country over the past year, shows how it is seeking to expand its presence in many markets. It now has more than 600 future locations in its development pipeline, many of which are expected to open in the next decade, company officials said.
"As we look to fiscal year 2026, Qdoba continues to build impressive momentum," said Jeremy Vitaro, the chain's chief development officer.
"Qdoba is well-positioned for sustained growth and long-term franchise success as we aim to double our footprint by 2032."
Qdoba has also positioned itself as a top fast-casual brand. It placed second among all fast-casual restaurants in this year's U.S. Today Readers' Choice Awards, falling behind just Habit Burger & Grill.
