Franchising

Qdoba signs deals for 90 locations in Eastern US

Photo: Qdoba

December 10, 2025

Qdoba Mexican Eats plans to open nearly 90 restaurants across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, part of a major expansion push in the Eastern United States.

The San Diego-based chain announced Wednesday that it has signed development agreements with several prominent multi-unit operators. With these deals, the company's development pipeline has grown to more than 650 commitments.

The expansion relies heavily on franchisees who already operate substantial portfolios with other major brands, such as Applebee's, Panera Bread, and Dunkin'. Multi-brand franchisees now operate approximately 80% of Qdoba's restaurants.

"Proven, multi-brand operators know what works in their portfolios, and they're choosing Qdoba because it allows them to diversify into the rapidly growing Mexican fast-casual category," Jeremy Vitaro, chief development officer, said in a press release.

The agreements include:

The Rose Group: A 35-restaurant agreement spanning Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. The group, which operates 55 Applebee's locations, also acquired two existing corporate locations in State College and Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Doherty Enterprises: A 27-restaurant agreement covering northern and central New Jersey, as well as New York's Hudson Valley and Capital Region. Doherty operates more than 140 restaurants across various brands.
Cafua Management Company: An agreement for 25 locations in central and upstate New York. Cafua is the largest private Dunkin' franchisee in the world.
The Tattva Group: An expansion of an existing relationship that includes the acquisition of restaurants in south-central Pennsylvania and plans for further development in the region.

The company said it is targeting more than 100 openings per year by 2027. The long-term strategy aims to roughly double the brand's footprint in the U.S. by 2032.

Qdoba operates 830 locations across 45 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and South Korea.