Data Verification Status: Verified
Data for Qdoba Mexican Eats was extracted directly from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document filed with state regulators (MN CARDS, WI DFI, or CA DFPI). The actual FDD was directly reviewed and all figures shown are sourced from the government filing. Extracted from 2026 FDD filed with MN CARDS (file #11155). Data verified from government filing. Always verify current figures by requesting the most recent FDD directly from the franchisor.
Qdoba Mexican Eats
Fast-casual Mexican — government-verified FDD data
Qdoba Mexican Eats is a national fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain with nearly 750 locations. The brand competes directly with Chipotle and Moe's, offering burritos, tacos, bowls, and nachos with broad customization. Strong Item 19 financial disclosure with average unit revenue exceeding $1.6M. FDD data verified from Minnesota Department of Commerce (MN CARDS).
Key Metrics
Total Investment
$548,100 – $1,294,000
Initial fee: $40,000
Avg Revenue (Item 19)
$1,661,277
Gross revenue, 2026 FDD
Royalty Rate
5%
2026 FDD
Total Units
747
672 franchised · 75 company
Franchise Overview
| Parent Company | Qdoba Corporation |
| Year Founded | 1995 |
| Franchising Since | 1997 |
| Headquarters | US |
| Category | Food & Beverage |
| FDD Year | 2026 |
Money: What You Pay, What You Make
Investment costs, ongoing fees, and disclosed revenue — FDD Items 5, 6, 7, and 19
Investment Anatomy
Where your initial investment goes — sourced from FDD Item 7.
Where Every Revenue Dollar Goes
Approximate allocation of each dollar of gross sales — from FDD Items 6, 8, and 19. Not a profit projection.
Diligence Scores
Computed from government-filed FDD data. Each score is 0–100. Methodology is public and citation-backed.
System Health
Based on Item 20 outlet trends
Franchisor Strength
Insufficient data
Contract Burden
Insufficient data
Economics
Based on Item 19 + fee burden
Confidence
Data completeness + extraction quality
Scores are editorial calculations from cited government filings (2026 FDD). They are not investment advice. Missing economics data does not indicate poor economics — it means Item 19 revenue data is unavailable for scoring. See methodology for details.
Data Coverage
Gov-filed FDD · 2026
4/11
items populated
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
| Disclosed metric: Reported Revenue (Type Unspecified)— Profit not disclosed | |
| Average Revenue (Type Unspecified) | $1,661,277 |
| Units Included | 747 |
| Basis | subset |
| Time Period | FY 2025 |
= $1,661,277 avg revenue minus 9.0% disclosed fees (royalty 5% + ad fund 4%). Excludes labor, COGS, rent, debt service, taxes, and all other operating expenses. This is not profit.
Item 19 Data Quality
Before comparing this revenue figure to other brands, review these data-quality flags.
Revenue type unclear
The FDD does not clearly specify whether figures are gross sales, net sales, or a profit metric. This limits comparability.
Profit not disclosed
Item 19 reports revenue only. No expense breakdown is provided. Profit cannot be determined from this disclosure alone.
Subset of units reported
Item 19 samples may be limited to defined subsets (subset meeting stated criteria), which affects comparability.
Strong sample (747 of 747 units)
100% of eligible units included — highly representative.
Current data (2026)
Revenue figures are from 2026 — recent and relevant.
Fee Structure
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 |
| Total Investment Range | $548,100 – $1,294,000 |
| Royalty | 5% |
| Marketing / Ad Fund | 4% |
Operations: The Rules You Live By
Contract terms, territory, suppliers, training, and financing — FDD Items 8, 10, 11, 12, 17
System Health: Is It Growing or Shrinking?
Unit openings, closures, transfers, and geographic spread — FDD Item 20
Unit Economics — Item 20 (Outlets & Franchisee Information)
Units Opened
+0
Units Closed
-0
Units Transferred
0
| Net Growth | +0 units |
| Turnover Rate | 0% |
System Composition
Ownership split and 3-year system trajectory — from FDD Item 20.
3-Year System Trajectory
Outlet Churn Anatomy — Item 20
Exit-type breakdown for the 2026 FDD reporting period. Source: government-filed FDD.
stable System
System is stable — net 0 units. Normal turnover for the category.
Opened
+0
Exited
-0
Net
+0
Franchisor Strength: Can They Support You?
Financial health, litigation history, and audited statements — FDD Items 3, 4, 21
Litigation Summary — Item 3
Active Lawsuits
0
Trend
Lawsuit Types
Peer Benchmarks
Ranked within food-beverage franchises at a over $500K investment tier. All data from government-filed FDDs.
Qdoba Mexican Eats ranks in the top 25% of peers for royalty rate
Percentile rank vs. comparable franchises in the same category and investment tier. For revenue and growth: higher percentile = better. For fees and investment: lower percentile = better (bar shows relative advantage).
Buyer Prep: What to Watch For
Key risk areas, questions for existing franchisees, and community insights
Franchisee Interview Prep
Questions to ask current franchisees — generated from red flags, Item 20 exit data, and contract terms in the 2026 FDD. Prioritized: critical questions first.
How responsive is your franchisor rep — do they actually help when you have a problem, or are they just checking boxes?
Look for: Specific stories (not just vague positives). Ask about a time they needed help urgently — response time matters.
The FDD does not include audited financial statements. Ask: do you have any visibility into the franchisor's financial health? Have you ever been concerned about the company's stability?
Look for: Even anecdotal signals — changes in leadership, delays in royalty statement processing, reduced marketing fund activity.
If you decided to sell your franchise tomorrow, how easy would that be? Has the franchisor ever blocked or delayed a transfer you wanted?
Look for: Transfer fee surprises, right-of-first-refusal complications, or franchisor demanding upgrades before approving a sale.
What did your revenue look like in year 1 vs. year 2 vs. now? When did you reach breakeven?
Look for: Year 1 revenue is typically well below Item 19 averages (which often exclude ramp-up units). Expect 12-24 months to reach average.
What did the training actually cover vs. what you needed on day 1? What do you wish you'd learned before opening?
Look for: Gap between training content and operational reality. New franchisees often report the training covered theory but not real-world situations.
Knowing everything you know now, would you sign this franchise agreement again? What would you negotiate differently?
Look for: This is the single highest-signal question. Listen for hesitation. Franchisees rarely criticize their decision publicly; even mild reservations are meaningful.
How responsive is corporate support when you have an operational problem? Can you give me an example of when you needed help and how they responded?
Look for: Same-day response vs. days-long wait. Whether field support visits are proactive or only reactive. Quality of the franchisee hotline.
Community
Not FDD dataAnonymous Owner Submissions
No owner submissions yet for Qdoba Mexican Eats. Be the first — your data helps future buyers.
Buyer Memo
One-page printable summary: investment, revenue, flags, and questions to ask.
View Memo →Full Diligence Memo
Item 19, system health, red flags, contract terms — cited to the filed FDD.
Full Analysis →Lender Readiness Pack
SBA-ready summary: investment ranges, scenario economics, franchisor financials.
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Data sourced from the 2026 FDD filed with a state franchise regulator (US DFI/CARDS filing). Fields not extractable from the PDF are shown as not available. Last updated 2026-03-27.
Extracted from 2026 FDD filed with MN CARDS (file #11155). Data verified from government filing.
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