News

Qdoba deferring franchise royalty fees

March 20, 2020

To help its franchisees stay afloat during COVID-19, Qdoba Mexican Eats, which has more than 730 locations in the U.S. and Canada, is offering a royalty deferral program for eight weeks, effective today.

The move will help franchisees protect cash flow as they adhere to the CDC guidelines for social distancing and the U.S. government's mandate for dining room closures, CEO Keith Guilbault said in a company press release. 

"Qdoba understands the plight of our franchisees during these unprecedented times, and we are committed to supporting our local business owners in any way we can," he said.  "Our focus with every decision is to be in the best position possible to address this downturn and continue to be a dependable choice for our guests."

Responding rapidly to the market conditions, Qdoba has begun hosting daily webinars with its franchisees to keep lines of communication open. It's also moved to limited-contact ordering, including digital ordering through Qdoba.com or the Qdoba app, in-restaurant to-go ordering, and delivery via its third-party providers.

"We pride ourselves on being a franchisor of choice, and this means open lines of communication and being responsive to what our franchisees need," Guilbault said. "We don't take this situation lightly and feel that all of the small business owners within our network are counting on us to have their back and do what's right."