Franchising

Qdoba opening 50 locations in 5-state deal

Photo: Qdoba

September 18, 2025

Qdoba Mexican Eats is opening 50 restaurants across five states in the Southwest as part of an agreement with B Wild Investments.

Led by multi-unit growth veteran Barry Dubin, the company will will expand Qdoba in Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. The initial focus will be on the Salt Lake City, St. George, Albuquerque and Las Vegas areas, as well as parts of Colorado Springs.

In addition to the development agreement, B Wild Investments plans to acquire one of Qdoba's largest existing franchisees in a deal expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Dubin, co-founder of the more than 1,000-unit KBP Brands, praised Qdoba's leadership and market position.

"I believe deeply in the brand's strength, its experienced leadership team and its position in one of the most attractive categories in the restaurant industry," Dubin said in a company press release.

Qdoba CEO John Cywinski said he has known Dubin for 15 years, dating back to Cywinski's time as president of KFC, where Dubin was his largest franchise partner.

"Barry is an exceptional leader, strategist and operator, and I'm absolutely thrilled he is joining the Qdoba brand," Cywinski said in the release.

The announcement follows a period of rapid growth for the company, which has signed nearly 20 franchisees in the last year, including in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Qdoba has over 600 restaurant locations in its development pipeline and aims to double its footprint by 2032. The company said it is also pursuing expansion in Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.

The company operates in 45 states and has over 800 total locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and South Korea.