Beloved Mexican Chain to Open 30 New Locations 'In an Accelerated Fashion'
There are about to be even more places where you can score burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, as one popular Mexican chain is continuing to grow its store footprint.
Fast-casual chain Qdoba just signed a deal with Thrive Restaurant Group to open 30 new restaurants in the Carolinas "in an accelerated fashion," according to a press release. This upcoming expansion will be focused on several cities, including Greenville and Wilmington N.C. and Myrtle Beach, Columbia, and Greenville, S.C.
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Thrive plans to open these new restaurants by 2028.
"Qdoba is an exceptionally well-positioned brand in the most attractive restaurant category and I'm confident Thrive will help us unlock our full potential in the Carolinas," John Cywinski, CEO of Qdoba, said in a press release.
Thrive is currently the country's second-largest Applebee's franchisee, employing more than 8,000 people across five brands, 170 restaurants, and 15 states. Besides Applebee's and Qdoba, Thrive's other brands include Bakesale, Carlos O'Kelly's, Homegrown, and Modern Market Eatery.
The latest deal with Thrive is just one of many development agreements Qdoba has in its pipeline. In 2024, the San Diego-based chain intends to open more than 50 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Last year, Qdoba opened 14 new locations.
The chain currently operates more than 760 restaurants and plans to almost double this number to a projected 1,600 locations over the next decade.
At the end of June, Qdoba shared in a press release that it signed 10 new deals in 2024 for more than 70 restaurants. The chain noted that it has almost 400 new restaurant commitments in development. As Qdoba looks to ramp up growth, it will also offer franchisees $100,000 in cash after opening new restaurants by September 2026.
Qdoba isn't the only burrito spot that has recently shared expansion plans. Earlier this month, Burritobar, a Toronto-based Tex-Mex chain, announced that it has inked a deal for 93 New Jersey restaurants that will open over the next two decades. The chain has also signed other franchise agreements for new restaurants in Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska, North Texas, South Illinois, and Ohio.
Additionally, in May, Fuzzy's Taco Shop, a fast-casual chain known for its Baja-style Mexican food, announced plans to open 40 new restaurants over the next eight years. Of these 40 locations, 15 will be in Arizona, while 25 will be in the Houston area.
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