---
title: "QDOBA Mexican Eats Appoints Jim Sullivan to Chief Development Officer"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/866defd8-11e6-4cc5-aa98-e1c3b67e1d6d
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20210607_qdoba_mexican_eats_appoints_jim_sullivan_to_chief_development_officer.html
category: "Mexican"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Mexican"
topics: ["People"]
published: 2021-06-07T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:25:54.793Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# QDOBA Mexican Eats Appoints Jim Sullivan to Chief Development Officer

**TL;DR:** QDOBA Mexican Eats has appointed Jim Sullivan as Chief Development Officer to lead restaurant development activities and franchise growth. Sullivan brings 25 years of experience in growing brands similar to QDOBA, including leadership positions at CKE Restaurant Holdings and Friendly's Ice Cream Corporation.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-06-07. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20210607_qdoba_mexican_eats_appoints_jim_sullivan_to_chief_development_officer.html).*

## Story

"Jim brings a unique perspective and strong leadership approach, backed by a proven track record of successfully accelerating franchise growth for some of the nation's leading restaurant concepts," said Keith Guilbault, CEO of QDOBA. "His expertise and years of experience in growing brands similar to ours in size and scale will serve us well in connecting with new franchise partners, expanding our nationwide footprint, and reaching new heights as a company."

Sullivan's accomplishments span 25 years and several prominent restaurant brands. Prior to joining QDOBA, Sullivan held leadership positions at CKE Restaurant Holdings, parent company to Carl's Jr, Hardee's, Green Burrito and Red Burrito Concepts, including executive vice president of domestic development and, most recently, chief development officer. There, Sullivan was responsible for all domestic development, real estate and construction activities such as design, restaurant maintenance, real estate, market planning, asset management, franchise sales strategies, compliance and more.

Previously, he served in multiple leadership positions, including chief development officer of Friendly's Ice Cream Corporation and was the director of franchise sales, marketing and real estate at American Hospitality Concepts. Sullivan received his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Mini M.B.

A. from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN.

"As a fan of the company, I'm thrilled to be joining QDOBA at such a pivotal moment in its next phase of expansion," adds Sullivan. "In my new role, I will be focused on entering new markets and strengthening our brand presence in existing markets."

Sullivan will serve on the company's Executive Leadership Team.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- franchise growth (topic)
- executive appointment (topic)
- restaurant development (topic)
- Carl's Jr. (company)
- Hardee's (company)
- CKE Restaurants (company)
- Friendly's (company)
- Qdoba Mexican Eats (company)
- Jim Sullivan (person)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20210607_qdoba_mexican_eats_appoints_jim_sullivan_to_chief_development_officer.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/866defd8-11e6-4cc5-aa98-e1c3b67e1d6d).