News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

Qdoba Is Opening 30 New Locations — Here's How the Chain Compares to Other Mexican Fast-Food

A new development agreement promises an accelerated timeline for opening.

Mexican foods banner
Updated Sept. 24, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

Qdoba, a highly customizable fast-casual Mexican menu that allows customers to choose their own meats and toppings for burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and other classic Mexican options, already has more than 750 locations across the U.S. — but it's poised for some more significant moves. 

Thanks to a new development agreement with Thrive Restaurant Group, 30 new Qdoba restaurants will open in North and South Carolina on an accelerated timeline. 

The new franchise partnership plans to "enter the Carolinas with boldness and speed," according to a July 10 press release. Qdoba is the latest chain to announce expansion plans in what is a trend in restaurant chains. 

More ready-to-eat food accessible in more locations sounds great, but rising dining costs can sometimes outpace wallets. There are ways to stretch your fast food budget so you can be sure to enjoy the new Qdoba locations as soon as they open.

See how the Mexican fast-casual food chain compares to dining options such as Chipotle.

Earn $200 cash rewards bonus with this incredible card

There's a credit card that's making waves with its amazing bonus and benefits. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) has no annual fee and you can earn $200 after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

The Active Cash Card puts cash back into your wallet. Cardholders can earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — easy! That's one of the best cash rewards options available.

This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply now.


Qdoba

Tada Images - stock.adobe.com Qdoba exterior

Qdoba's new agreement will focus on opening new locations in North Carolina and South Carolina, targeting the regional areas of Greenville and Wilmington in NC, and Myrtle Beach, Columbia, and Greenville in SC. 

Menu prices vary by location, but based on the nearest restaurant locations the prices are likely to be similar to what's found in Virginia. Burrito bowls range around the $10 - $12 mark, with similar pricing for a traditional burrito. In fact, most of the taco and quesadilla options are also in that range, so it's very easy to keep the tab under $15 per meal.  


Chipotle

Studio Barcelona/Adobe chipotle mexican grill signboard

Chipotle has several locations in the Carolinas, and Qdoba may have to offer lower prices than what is seen in neighboring Virginia to be competitive. Chipotle's NC menu puts burrito bowls around the $10 - $11 range, with classic burritos roughly the same. 

This is consistent with other staples to the menu, such as the quesadillas and tacos. 

Moe's Southwest Grill

M. Suhail - stock.adobe.com Moe's Southwest Grill exterior

If you like Chipotle and Qdoba, then you're also going to like Moe's Southwest Grill which offers a similar build-your-own style. Their prices are also consistent with the $10 - $11 range in the Carolinas region, but are also known for giving out freebies on the regular - such as queso and chips. 

Stop overpaying when you shop online

Shopping online has its perks. It's super convenient, but it can be time consuming to find the best deals. Instead of hunting for coupon codes (that don't always work!) and opening tons of browser tabs comparing prices, you can try Capital One Shopping.

Capital One Shopping makes saving money effortless. Just add the browser extension and when you check out, it'll scour the internet for coupon codes to help you save cash. And before you check out at 25+ major retailers, Capital One Shopping will notify you with a friendly pop-up if the item you're buying is available cheaper somewhere else.

Capital One Shopping is free to use and won't show you ads. Add it today and stop overpaying!1

Get Capital One Shopping now


Burritobar

eugen - stock.adobe.com BarBurrito restaurant exterior

Burritobar isn't in the Carolinas yet, but the fast-casual dining chain has an aggressive strategy to enter the U.S. consumer markets. 

They plan to open 750 locations nationwide and have a Tex-Mex menu comparable to places like Chipotle or Qdoba. 

The chain restaurant began in Canada in 2015 and has since become one of the fastest-growing Mexican food franchises. If Americans love their food as much as Canadians, they may give further competition in the southern market in the near future. 

Bottom line

Jenifoto Mexican foods

It's clear we all love to build your own taco-burrito-quesadilla-bowl, or there wouldn't be so many fast-casual dining chains from which to choose. 

Although the Carolinas do not currently offer Qdoba as an option, places like Chipotle and Moe's Southwest Grill fulfill Taco Tuesday's needs. 

Qdoba would ideally want locations those restaurants aren't servicing or areas on the edges of their delivery radius to reach customers who don't have a near-enough option.

The pricing of the various competing franchises is very similar in the region, so Qdoba could also offer lower prices and better special deals to pull business away from the local default. 

Those concerned about the affordability of dining out can look to some alternative ways to tackle the rising cost of groceries


Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

5.0
info

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details