Qdoba (/kjuːˈdoʊbə/ kew-DOH-bə)[5][6][7] is a chain of fast casual restaurants in the United States and Canada serving Mexican-style cuisine.

After 15 years as a wholly owned subsidiary of Jack in the Box, the company was sold to a consortium of funds led by Apollo Global Management in March 2018.

[8] This chain traces its origins to the opening of the Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill in 1995 by Colorado native Anthony Miller and partner Robert Hauser at Grant Street and Sixth Avenue in Denver, which is still in operation.

[14][15] During the same year, Z-teca began to offer franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs to expand the chain outside of its core territory of Colorado.

[23][24] At the time of the name change to Qdoba Mexican Grill, Gary Beisler replaced Miller as CEO.

[26][27][28] Qdoba repurchased 25 stores located in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee from ZT of Louisville, Inc., one its largest franchisees, for an undisclosed sum in mid-2012.

[35] In October 2014, Qdoba changed its price structure to "all-inclusive", in which the price only depended on the type of protein ($7.80 for chicken or vegetarian items and $8.40 for steak, shredded beef or pork), but included all of the "extras" that previously incurred an additional charge, such as guacamole and queso sauce.

As part of the new strategy, the trade name of the restaurants was changed to Qdoba Mexican Eats in October 2015 in the hope of trying to distinguish itself from similar-sounding competitors.

[43] In December 2017, a consortium of funds led by Apollo Global Management announced the purchase of the Qdoba chain for approximately $305 million.

[47] After Apollo had complete its acquisition, Keith Guilbault was promoted from brand president to chief executive officer in May 2018.

[8] In January 2023, it was announced that effective immediately, former Applebee's president John Cywinski would be CEO of Modern Restaurant Concepts, Qdoba's parent company.

Through a selective refranchising strategy, the company sold a portion of company-owned restaurants to franchisees to achieve a franchised mix of ~80% as of August 2023.

[57][58][59] Through agreements with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, Qdoba can be found on select U.S. military bases across the nation.

Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke ruled against Panera, concluding, "A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans.

"[62][63] Three customers who got sick after eating at a Qdoba restaurant in Firestone, Colorado, were found to have been infected with the bacterium Salmonella typhi which causes typhoid fever.

[64][65] In 2019, a minor filed a complaint to the General Attorney's Office at Newton, Massachusetts, stating that they had worked overtime at Qdoba.