From the filings
Qdoba Restaurant's 2023 FDD sets a Wi-Fi enabled iPad Air and a Dell Optiplex back-office server as the current hardware standard, with PA-DSS-approved POS terminals and EMV point-to-point encryption required for card payments. With 733 total locations — 447 franchised, 286 company-owned — and franchised outlets up 10.099% year over year, Eric Rosenzweig sits as the FDD's named Chief Information Officer.
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Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
6.75%of gross sales (FY2023)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 8 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We also require the right to independently access your system and all information and data that is electronically collected on the system (Franchise Agreement, Sections 9, 11, 12, 13, and 24.).
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesItem 17
refusal to permit audit, failure to Qdoba 12/22 FDD as amended 01/23 39 Section in Provision Franchise Summary Agreement submit financial statements, failure to pay taxes, violation of labor laws, failure to keep business open, failure to pay, failure to restore premises, and default under other agreements, among…
How the franchisor buys
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have created a Brand Advisory Committee and a Marketing Advisory Council to enhance the working relationship with our franchisees.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
The Company may change approved suppliers at any time.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
4972000Item 8
The Company’s total revenue from all required purchases and leases by franchisees (which includes IT fees, supply chain fees, and sublease rent) in fiscal year 2022 was $4,972,000or 1.04% of the Company’s total revenues.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Certain suppliers provide us with marketing allowances, rebates, or similar funds based on the volume of product purchased by Qdoba restaurants through our distributor network.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
40Item 8
We estimate that your required purchases and leases will be approximately forty percent (40%) of your overall purchases and leases in operating your restaurant.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
Qdoba 12/22 FDD as amended 01/23 12 Type of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks Alternative Actual expenses When incurred If approved suppliers are capable of Supplier Costs producing a product, and you would like an additional supplier approved to do so, you must reimburse us for the actual costs we incur in approving and…
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to add a supplier to our approved supplier list, you must follow the procedure discussed in Section 13 of the Franchise Agreement.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
In addition, you are required to maintain full compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and to prove your compliance by providing to us an executed copy of the PCI self-assessment questionnaire or the PCI report on compliance, whichever is appropriate, on an annual basis.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Inspections: We will conduct inspections of your restaurant and evaluations of the products sold and services rendered at the restaurant, as we deem advisable (Franchise Agreement, Section 9.4, 15, and 18, License Agreement, Section 8.D).
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 17
Modification of the Sections 5 No modifications without mutual agreement, Agreement and 19 but all Manuals are subject to change by us in our sole discretion.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Before acquiring a site for the restaurant, whether through lease, purchase or otherwise, you must apply for and obtain our written acceptance of the site.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
Under a Franchise Agreement, we require you to spend up to $5,000 for grand opening advertising, but you may spend more.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
Additionally, on an ongoing basis, you are also required to spend a percentage of Gross Sales on local advertising, currently set at one and a quarter percent (1.25%).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You must participate in any gift card, loyalty, or similar programs required by the Company.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If a cooperative is established in your area after you commence operation under the Franchise Agreement, you must become a member of the cooperative not later than thirty (30) days after the cooperative commences operation (Franchise Agreement, Section 14.3.).
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Therefore, the food and beverage products you serve at your restaurant, as well as the items you use to prepare and serve those products, must meet our specifications and must be produced and distributed only by suppliers and distributors approved by us.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Therefore, the food and beverage products you serve at your restaurant, as well as the items you use to prepare and serve those products, must meet our specifications and must be produced and distributed only by suppliers and distributors approved by us.
Payments
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You must participate in any gift card, loyalty, or similar programs required by the Company.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Except certain non-traditional restaurants, if you have more than one Qdoba franchised restaurant, they must at all times be under the full-time supervision of a Designated Operator (“DO”) and a General Manager (unless otherwise approved by Qdoba).
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must use a computer system we specify, which includes, but is not limited, to the items described below
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We also require the right to independently access your system and all information and data that is electronically collected on the system (Franchise Agreement, Sections 9, 11, 12, 13, and 24.).
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge a reasonable fee for such programs (currently up to $1,600 per trainee for each refresher course, seminar, or program).
Who buys here
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
HQ committee: CEO/President + VP Ops + IT/CIO + Franchise + procurement involved.
Qdoba reports 733 total locations — 447 franchised, 286 company-owned — with franchised outlets up 10.099% year over year in its 2023 FDD. Royalty runs 5.0% of sales on a 10-year term, and Item 19 makes a financial performance representation with average net sales of $1,497,754 across 277 franchisee-operated restaurants. The FDD names Modern Restaurant Concepts Holdings, LLC as its parent.
Item 11's computer-system mandate is set at the franchisor level. The FDD names Eric Rosenzweig as Chief Information Officer, alongside John C. Cywinski (CEO), Mel Tucker (CFO), Eric Williams (COO), and James D. Sullivan (Chief Development Officer).
The current hardware standard is a Wi-Fi enabled iPad Air and a Dell Optiplex back-office file server running Windows 10 Professional, paired with a capacitive-touchscreen POS terminal running an approved PA-DSS version of POS software. Peripheral hardware, including EMV devices with point-to-point encryption for secure card transactions, is part of the same standard. Franchisees must also sign participation agreements and buy hardware or software from vendors the Company designates for its stored-value card programs. Franchisees must also install Qdoba's sales-reporting (polling) software and, at most sites, use the QRC Standardized Network from a Qdoba approved managed service provider.
Qdoba runs an approved-supplier list; franchisees typically select from that list, and the Company and its affiliates are not themselves approved suppliers of any product necessary to run a Qdoba franchise. Required purchases and leases from approved suppliers run an estimated 50% to 90% of overall purchases in setting up a restaurant. The term is 10 years, with renewal available to franchisees not in default who remodel and meet other conditions — a natural point to revisit the hardware standard, alongside the system's 10.099% franchised-outlet growth.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds Qdoba's 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document in full. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list of franchise systems like this one.
Questions vendors ask
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FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment Qdoba Restaurant files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Qdoba Restaurant’s FDD on file does not disclose a franchisee directory.
Ownership
pe_firm of Apollo Global Management.
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Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.