A new burrito shop is squaring off against its biggest rival right across the street in Travelers Rest. Qdoba is opening its third Greenville County location and sixth statewide at 40 Krieger Court, Suite B, with a grand opening set for Wednesday, September 2, and daily hours running from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The spot sits directly across from Caribou Coffee and Chipotle Mexican Grill, according to The Post and Courier Greenville, setting up a head-to-head matchup between two of the country’s biggest fast-casual Mexican chains. Chipotle beat Qdoba to the neighborhood, opening its own Travelers Rest location at 571 Roe Center Court in late 2024, according to the Upstate Business Journal.
The two chains take very different approaches to growth. Qdoba operates primarily through franchising, with roughly 80% of its stores owned by franchisees who must bring at least $350,000 in liquid capital and a $1 million net worth to the table, per the same outlet’s reporting on the brand’s franchise strategy. Chipotle, by contrast, stopped selling franchises back in 2006 and runs all of its more than 3,500 locations as corporate-owned units.
A Franchisee Betting Big on the Carolinas
The new location is operated by Thrive Restaurant Group, the franchisee behind Qdoba’s operations here. Wichita, Kansas-based Thrive runs more than 200 restaurants across 18 states, a portfolio that also includes Applebee’s franchises, Modern Market Eatery, HomeGrown, Bakesale, and Carlos O’Kelly’s, according to background compiled from Thrive Restaurant Group…