Qdoba Mexican Grill returns to the market as Qdoba Mexican Eats

Qdoba Mexican Grill left the Kansas City market several years ago.

Now it’s coming back with four new area locations, a new name, new decor and some new menu items.

Qdoba, a fast casual operation founded in Denver in 1995, specializes in customizable Mexican entrees, including burritos, tacos, nachos, Mexican gumbo, quesadillas and taco salad.

In late October, it rebranded to Qdoba Mexican Eats and its new Northland restaurant will be one of only about a dozen of its locations currently operating under the new name.

The restaurant scheduled a 10:30 a.m. opening Tuesday at 9300 N.E. Barry Road, in a former Schlotzsky's Deli building. The chain also is scheduling a Dec. 1 opening for its location at 6350 Johnson Drive in Mission (also a former Schlotzsky's Deli), and an early 2016 opening for a restaurant at 515 Westport Road, which is being built from the ground up. A Lawrence location is scheduled to open in fall 2016.

A franchisee owned some area locations that closed in late 2006. The new locations will be corporate-owned restaurants.

Still, the company tries to localize the operations through tweaks in the designs and unique art work. Kansas City-based artist Hector Casanova did a mural for the front entrance depicting a female figure with an eagle head and a snake. The dining room features two community tables, as well as a glass-enclosed area where employees cook tortillas on a flat griddle known as a comal.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Qdoba’s parent company, the San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc., closed 62 under-performing Qdoba locations in early 2013 and then hired a new brand president to help set it apart from other fast casual competitors like Chipotle Mexican Grill. There are now more than 650 Qdoba operations in the U.S. — about half owned by franchisees.

“We have identified a position that we believe we can really come in and own,” said David Craven, vice president of brand marketing. “Not just a new menu, a new restaurant design, a new marketing campaign. It is really everything. We are looking at everything to see where we can inject flavor — seasonal offerings, music, the color and excitement of the environment.”

A year ago, it “took a stand against nickel-and-diming customers,” saying they would no longer have to pay for extras like guacamole. It also has rolled out new menu items like the Bacon Jalapeno Queso and spicy tequila mango smothered burritos.

Qdoba recently introduced new “Knockout Tacos” featuring warm tortillas and slow-cooked and flame-grilled meats, including the Drunken Yardbird (with tequila lime chicken, hand-smashed guacamole, salsa verde, cilantro, minced onion and cotija cheese), and the Bohemian Veg (shredded cheese, black beans, corn salsa, hand-smashed guacamole, salsa verde, minced onions, cilantro and cotija cheese). Costs are $3.50 a taco or $9 for any three.

“We have the ‘All Good Guarantee,’ basically if you just aren’t feeling it the team will make you something else free of charge,” said Ariel Hibbert, senior business development manager who was in town Monday night for a pre-opening event.

Qdoba also offers catering services, setting up a buffet-style taco, nacho or Naked Burrito bar with chafing dishes for groups of 10 or more.

Nation’s Restaurant News said the moves have steadily driven up same-stores sales, which increased 7.7 percent in the second quarter ending July 5, although transactions were down 1.1 percent for the quarter. The chain was No. 64 on the publication’s 2015: Top 100 list with annual sales of $667.2 million for fiscal year ending 2014.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Qdoba Mexican Grill returns to the market as Qdoba Mexican Eats."