The Mexican Fast Food Chain That Trumps Chipotle In Colorado

Chipotle has grown wildly in popularity since its inception in 1993, dominating the fast-casual chain game in the U.S. While it is one of the top-performing Mexican chains in America overall (with Taco Bell being the largest in the U.S.), its popularity was not quite enough to claim the No. 1 fast food spot in the state of Colorado. This might come as a surprise if you know that Chipotle was founded in Denver, but as FinanceBuzz reports, it is actually rival restaurant Qdoba that claims the crown in the Centennial State.

Like Chipotle, Qdoba was also founded in Denver in the 1990s (1995, to be exact). While there is no data to suggest why Coloradans prefer Qdoba to Chipotle, there is the data itself to consider. You see, even though Chipotle far out-earns Qdoba overall — reporting more than $10 billion in sales in 2024 compared to Qdoba barely scraping past $1 billion — FinanceBuzz analyzed Google Trends data and per-capita location density as of March 2024 to determine which chain is the local favorite.

In 2024, Qdoba operated 83 locations in Colorado, narrowly edging out Chipotle's 80 in late 2023. That slight lead in physical presence alone is enough to tilt the local scales in Qdoba's favor.

As the No. 2 fast-casual Mexican chain in the country, Qdoba has room for significant growth, including in its home state of Colorado. Indeed, in late 2025, one of the most powerful franchise groups, B Wild Investments, announced that in addition to acquiring 20 restaurants, it was planning to open 50 brand-new locations around the American Southwest, including in Colorado Springs.

But that is not all. Qdoba, which operates just under 850 restaurants across the U.S. as of January 2026, is aiming to add at least 600 more in the coming years, expanding its footprint in the American South and California, as well as along the Eastern Seaboard, in states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Ultimately, the company hopes to operate up to 2,000 locations by 2036.

In addition to more restaurants opening, fans of Mexican fast-casual can expect to see more national ad campaigns for Qdoba, as the brand, which was famously owned by Jack in the Box from 2003 until 2018 and was most recently acquired in 2022 by Butterfly Equity, makes its push into the wider American consciousness. While Qdoba is not expecting to overtake Chipotle anytime soon in terms of sales or units, it is at least working to get its name, and how it differentiates itself from Chipotle with its free scoop of queso or creamy guacamole per entree, out there far beyond just Colorado.