Head-to-Head Franchise Intelligence
Chipotle Mexican Grill vs Qdoba Mexican Eats
Commercial comparison of unit economics, FTC Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 19 average unit volume (AUV), startup capital requirements, and store tech stacks.
Contender 1Rank #7
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Mexican Fast Casual
Food with Integrity
Parent Holding:Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Contender 2Rank #54
Qdoba Mexican Eats
Mexican Fast Casual
Flavor Ahead
Parent Holding:Butterfly Equity
Unit Economics & Financial Benchmarks
Verified against FTC FDD Item 19 and SEC Form 10-K regulatory disclosures.
| Metric | Chipotle Mexican Grill | Qdoba Mexican Eats | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median AUV (Annual Sales) | $3.05M | $4.68M | Qdoba Mexican Eats (+54%) |
| Active Store Locations | 3,938 | 827 | Chipotle Mexican Grill (Larger Fleet) |
| Initial Investment Range | $1.10M – $2.40M | $2.20M – $4.80M | Varies by site format |
| Min Liquid Capital Required | $500k | $750k | FDD Item 7 Requirement |
| Royalty Fee % | 5.0% | 4.5% | Qdoba Mexican Eats (Lower Fee) |
| National Ad Fund % | 3.0% | 3.0% | Marketing Contribution |
| Annual Systemwide Sales | $10.20B | $3.90B | System Scale |
In-Store Tech Stack
Point-of-Sale Hardware/Software
Chipotle Mexican Grill:NCR Aloha Cloud / Chipotlane
Qdoba Mexican Eats:NCR Aloha Cloud
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
Chipotle Mexican Grill:Aloha Kitchen
Qdoba Mexican Eats:Aloha Kitchen
Delivery Multi-Homing
DoorDash Marketplace Penetration
Chipotle Mexican Grill:98% (4076 stores)
Qdoba Mexican Eats:0% (0 stores)
Uber Eats Marketplace Penetration
Chipotle Mexican Grill:86% (3572 stores)
Qdoba Mexican Eats:0% (0 stores)
Need deeper store-level datasets?
Explore individual geocoded address lists, multi-unit franchisee portfolios, and full FDD Item 19 exhibits.