Qdoba is a chain of fast casual restaurants found in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico that specialize in Mexican cuisine. As of 2026, there are 840 Qdoba locations. It is the second largest fast casual chain of Mexican restaurants in North America. Qdoba is best known for its San Francisco style burritos as well as other Mexican dishes that are more high quality than the Mexican food served as fast food places, such as Taco Bell.
History
In 1995, Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill opened in Denver, Colorado. It was opened by two men named Robert Hauser and Anthony Miller. The initial restaurant was a success and it began expansion efforts. However, in 1999, the chain’s name was changed to Qdoba due to a threaten lawsuit from a local Mexican restaurant in Boston that already used the name Zuma. The restaurant’s new name is a made up word created by an advertising agency.
In 2003, Qdoba was purchased by Jack-in-the-Box.
In 2013, it was announced the 67 underperforming Qdoba locations would close. Among the restaurants closed included 18 locations in the Chicago metropolitan area. This left only 600 Qdoba loations still open by 2014.
In 2016, Jack-in-the-Box annoucned that Qdoba would move its headquarters from Colorado to California starting in 2017. By this point, Qdoba had 650 locations across 47 states and the District of Columbia.
In March of 2018, Qdoba was acquired by the private equity firm Apollo Global Management for $305 million. The restaurant chain would expand during its ownership by Apollo. By 2022, Qdoba had 750 locations in the United States and 12 restaurants in Canada. Later that year, it was sold yet again to Butterfly Equity, another private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles.
In 2023, Qdoba opened its first restaurant in Puerto Rico at the San Patricio Shopping Village in the town of Guaynabo. As of 2026, there are only four Qdoba locations on the American island territory of Puerto Rico.
The biggest national competitors to Qdoba include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Baja Fresh, and Moe’s Southwest Grill.