Continue to Site >>>
Financing

How Qdoba survived the quarantine on its own

This week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Keith Guilbault, the CEO of Qdoba, talking about the chain’s life as a stand-alone company. By Jonathan Maze on Aug. 05, 2020

Qdoba has done well as a stand-alone company, even during the pandemic.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Keith Guilbault, CEO of Qdoba Mexican Eats, the 730-unit fast-casual Mexican chain.

Guilbault talks about Qdoba’s response to the coronavirus and how the company got creative to serve customers during that time.

He also discusses how the company has done on its own, since its 2018 spinoff from Jack in the Box and sale to Apollo Global Management. Guilbault talks about why that move was good for the chain and its operations.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

A Deeper Dive  Fast_Casual  News 
Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze is a longtime industry journalist who writes about restaurant finance, mergers and acquisitions and the economy, with a particular focus on quick-service restaurants.
View All Articles by This Author

Multimedia

Menu trends at RLC, how a St. Louis chef is elevating sushi, and hot sauces and LTOs in the spotlight

An inside look at the James Beard Awards, McAlister's menu expansion and creamsicle drinks

So long Menu Feed, welcome to Menu Talk

How Gott's Roadside evolves the menu while honoring the restaurant's 25-year legacy

The Latest

Financing

Sticky's Finger Joint declares bankruptcy

Leadership

Dave & Buster's names a CFO, Wienerschnitzel adds a development chief and more restaurant executive moves

Marketing

New research shows a wait for a table can be a potent restaurant draw

Listen to your daily news: RB PodcastsNew episodes weekdays
RB Daily
A Deeper Dive
Menu Talk
Restaurant Rewind
Working Lunch

More on this Topic

Financing

Sticky's Finger Joint declares bankruptcy

Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

Financing

Clover Food Lab emerges from bankruptcy with big growth plans

Financing

A wave of bankruptcies hits the restaurant industry

Financing

The Sports Bra wins growth investment from Serena Williams' husband

Financing

Fast-growing Tropical Smoothie is being sold to Blackstone

Exclusive Content

Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Trending

Financing

Sticky's Finger Joint declares bankruptcy

Leadership

Dave & Buster's names a CFO, Wienerschnitzel adds a development chief and more restaurant executive moves

Marketing

New research shows a wait for a table can be a potent restaurant draw

More from our partners

How to use the plus-one strategy to build unique LTOs

How restaurants can make margin improvements that improve the bottom line

Ensuring Food Safety: How Better Equipment Helps

Investing in beverage programs without maxing labor: Why innovative products matter more than ever

Case study: Labor-Saving Ingredients Aid Innovation