QDOBA Mexican Eats hires Peter Ortiz as VP of franchise development

QDOBA Mexican Eats, the fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchise with 730 locations across the U.S. and Canada, is prioritizing continued growth with the hiring of franchise veteran Peter Ortiz as the brand’s new vice president of franchise development.

Since joining QDOBA in mid-August, Ortiz has been instrumental in the brand’s development and has been working with experienced franchise groups interested in expanding QDOBA in key markets.

“Peter has a well-earned reputation in the franchise industry as an accomplished executive who truly understands every facet of multi-unit franchise development. His experience in the restaurant space is unmatched,” said Tim Welsh, chief development officer at QDOBA. “As we launch an aggressive growth strategy, Peter is going to play a critical role in bringing our concept to new regions and expanding our footprint in existing territories through franchising.”

In recent years, QDOBA has hired over 100 corporate employees at its San Diego headquarters, and has met the evolving needs of its consumers by launching a series of new formats of restaurants, equipped with drive-thrus, pick-up windows, and dedicated curbside pick-up areas.

Ortiz is no stranger to being on the cutting-edge of the restaurant industry, bringing more than 30 years of experience to his role at QDOBA. As well as working on the franchise development for Potbelly Sandwich Shop, he has worked alongside household names like Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carvel Ice Cream, and Schlotzsky’s; netting sales of nearly 2,000 new locations over the course of his career.

“QDOBA has an incredible opportunity for growth. QDOBA is truly a national leader in the fast-casual segment and has many attractive markets available,” said Ortiz. “The momentum behind the brand is stronger than ever, and I’m excited to join the team and take QDOBA into new regions across the country through multi-unit franchise development.”