RISE - Menu Monitor

Expansion Plans |
Qdoba Mexican Grill will open its second Columbus, OH, restaurant on May 17. The unit will be located on Fifth Avenue.
(Bizjournals.com 5/14/07)
Qdoba Mexican Grill will expand in the Chicago area. The chain plans to build three to four locations a year in the area. The
company’s seventh Chicago location opened on July 23 in downtown Chicago, and another unit is expected to open next
month in suburban Wheaton. (Chicagobusiness.com 7/25/07)
Qdoba Mexican Grill opened its 400th location on November 12. The new Nampa, ID, unit was opened by franchisee Michael
Bladow who has an agreement with Qdoba to operate 12 units in two states by 2010. The Nampa store also marks the 80th
Qdoba opened over the last 12 months. (QSRmagazine.com 11/12/07)
Jack in the Box Inc. is planning to expand franchise operations in 2008. The company intends to sell 100 to 120 Jack in the
Box restaurants to franchisees in fiscal 2008, for an expected gain of $45 million to $48 million. The chain also expects to open
35 to 45 new Jack in the Box units, including 13 to 17 franchised locations. For its Qdoba brand, the company plans to open
75 to 90 stores, 60 to 70 of which will be franchised. (Yahoo! Finance 11/16/07)
Promotion Plans |
Qdoba Mexican Grill and GroundFloor Media Inc., a Denver-based public relations firm, partnered to develop a public relations
campaign that includes programs to generate visibility for products and store openings through consumer publications and
national trade. (Company Release 4/9/07)
Menu Development |
Qdoba Mexican Grill introduced its new Mango Chicken Salad to more than 360 units in 40 states. The salad features
shredded romaine lettuce, the chain’s adobo chicken, lime vinaigrette, cheese, light or regular sour cream and mango salsa in
a tortilla bowl. The item is priced at $5.99. (NRN Daily NewsFax 6/13/07)
Qdoba Mexican Grill is now trans-fat-free. The chain’s full menu meets the guidelines for zero-trans-fat labeling in both New
York City and throughout the state of Colorado. Qdoba will implement the new trans-fat-free oil nationwide by the end of 2007.
(Company Release 7/26/07)
Qdoba rolled out an Ancho Chile Barbecue Burrito using its new slow-simmered shredded pork and ancho chile barbecue
sauce. This is Qdoba’s fifth signature burrito. The shredded pork can be added to other menu items, such as tacos, burritos,
salads, quesadillas and nachos. (Nation’s Restaurant News Online 9/5/07)
Franchise Activity |
Qdoba Mexican Grill will not be opened in Worcester, MA, by a Panera Bread franchisee. The unit was slated to open in the
White City Shopping Center which has a clause in the lease saying that the tenancy of any bakery or restaurant that generated
more than 10% of its profits from sandwiches is prohibited. A state Superior Court judge claimed that the term “sandwich” is
not commonly understood to include tacos, burritos or quesadillas. (NRN Daily NewsFax 11/6/06)
Qdoba Mexican Grill plans to open five to seven restaurants in Memphis with GO Foods LLC. The units are expected to open
in the next three years, with the first opening on May 21. (Bizjournals.com 3/23/07)
Personnel |
Linda Lang, CEO
Jerry Rebel, CFO
Alan Tonks, V.P. of Purchasing
Lenny Comma, V.P. of Operations
Ted Stoner, V.P. Research & Development
Terri Graham, CMO/ S.V.P.
©Technomic Information Services 2007, CIS profiles may not be copied or distributed in any print or electronic format without a license or written consent.
Technomic believes that its sources of information are reliable, but does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information
published.
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