QDOBA Inks 50-Restaurant Southwest Agreement, Marking One of Brand's Largest Franchise Deals

Mexican Fast-Casual Restaurant Brand Surpasses 600 Committed Openings; Aims to Double Footprint by 2032

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a record-breaking year of growth and franchise development, QDOBA, America's rapidly growing #2 restaurant brand in the Mexican fast-casual category, today announced one of the largest development deals in brand history. Barry Dubin of B Wild Investments, LLC has signed on to develop 50 new QDOBA restaurants across the states of Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. Initially, Dubin plans to focus on locations in Salt Lake City, St. George, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and areas surrounding Colorado Springs.

Additionally, B Wild Investments LLC has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire one of QDOBA's largest franchisees with a closing anticipated during Q4 2025. 

A proven leader in multi-unit growth, Dubin brings a distinguished track record of scaling consumer brands, including as co-founder of KBP Brands, which has grown to over 1,000 restaurant units, and executive chairman of the largest Tide Laundromat franchisee in the U.S.

"This agreement marks a proud milestone for me and for QDOBA," said Barry Dubin, Founder and CEO of B Wild Investments, LLC. "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. Core to our investment thesis at B Wild, we are excited to be acquiring a scaled platform of high-quality assets while signing an agreement to perpetuate the growth of QDOBA in very attractive territories. We have significant trust and confidence in QDOBA's 's leadership team, given our long-standing relationship with the current CEO of QDOBA, and look forward to expanding the brand's presence in the Mountain West in close partnership with the brand."

"I've known Barry for 15 years, since I was President of KFC, where he was my largest franchise partner," said John Cywinski, CEO of QDOBA. "Barry is an exceptional leader, strategist, and operator, and I'm absolutely thrilled he is joining the QDOBA brand."

The announcement comes amid a period of rapid growth for QDOBA with nearly 20 new franchisees signed in the past 12 months. Recent signings include Pittsburgh, PA, Dallas-Fort Worth/Waco, TX, and several Ohio DMAs – all of which are now sold-out priority markets.

"As we look to Fiscal Year 2026, QDOBA continues to build impressive momentum," said Jeremy Vitaro, Chief Development Officer at QDOBA. "As one of the fastest growing brands in the industry, it's no surprise we continue to attract some of the best franchise partners from QSR and casual dining. With strong operators like Barry joining our system and a powerful brand in the most attractive category in the restaurant industry, QDOBA is well-positioned for sustained growth and long-term franchise success as we aim to double our footprint by 2032."

QDOBA now has more than 600 future restaurants in its development pipeline. The company is actively pursuing growth throughout Florida, as well as in Texas, California, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.

QDOBA currently operates in 45 states and its expansion targets both traditional restaurants as well as non-traditional locations, including airports, universities, and military bases. For additional information about the QDOBA franchise opportunity and available territories, prospective franchisees can visit www.qdobafranchise.com.

About QDOBA Mexican Eats
QDOBA is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with over 800 locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and South Korea. Committed to bringing flavor to people's lives, QDOBA uses ingredients freshly prepared in-house by hand throughout the day to create a variety of flavorful menu options. Guests can experience QDOBA's delicious offerings by customizing their own burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads to suit their personal tastes and cravings. Premium toppings can always be added to entrées at no extra charge, including signature 3-cheese queso and hand-crafted guacamole. 

For seven consecutive years, QDOBA has ranked among the top fast-casual restaurants in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards—including six years at #1. QDOBA was also recently named one of Yelp's Most Loved Airport Brands, a distinction based on extensive analysis of ratings and reviews from travelers.

Discover more at QDOBA.com or on the QDOBA app, which is available for download on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. Fans can also connect with QDOBA on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.

About B Wild Investments, LLC
B Wild is the private investment office of Barry W. Dubin. Our firm is exclusively focused on acquiring and building exceptional multi-unit consumer businesses. B Wild employs an active approach investing in a select number of companies seeking to achieve excellence with integrity. We identify our investment opportunities proprietarily via our expansive network and are attracted to opportunities where our experience and relationships are likely to provide tailwinds in building extraordinary businesses. Key to our investment thesis is partnering with strong management and structuring compensation such that success leads to life changing financial outcomes for our teams. We completed our first platform investment in 2024 with the creation of US Laundry, LLC, the largest Tide Laundromat in the United States. Please visit www.bwildinvestments.com to learn more.

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SOURCE QDOBA