Challenge the Pros: Lori Osley on Developing The Discovery Day Process

How did you develop your discovery day process, and what are its key elements? Lori Osley Vice President of Franchise Development Qdoba At Qdoba, we know that today’s multi-unit operators value convenience and efficiency, especially during the early stages of exploring a new brand. That’s why we developed a discovery day process that’s as dynamic and flexible as the franchisees we aim to attract.

Instead of requiring a significant upfront investment of time or travel, we created a virtual discovery day experience that’s held every six weeks. This format allows prospective partners to evaluate the Qdoba opportunity on their own terms without disrupting their day-to-day operations. Each two-hour session is carefully designed to give candidates a clear and compelling view of our brand.

Attendees hear directly from our CEO and cross-functional leadership team representing key areas, like marketing, operations, training, supply chain, IT, and development. This access provides transparency, sets expectations, and allows candidates to quickly understand how we support their success. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

We typically host between 12 and 25 attendees per session, and to date, we’ve maintained a 100% conversion rate from discovery day attendee to signed franchise agreement. We also recognize that some groups prefer a more personalized approach. For those candidates, we’re happy to offer one-on-one sessions tailored to their unique needs and questions.

Bottom line: Our discovery day process is intentionally designed to be flexible, informative, and impactful, a true reflection of how we operate as a brand and a franchise partner.