Veteran Operator Takes 20 Qdoba Units in Colorado and Alaska

Barry Dubin, who co-founded KBP Brands and helped grow it to more than 1,000 restaurant units nationwide, has made his next major move. His holding company B Wild Investments, through affiliate 7 Star Restaurants, acquired 20 Qdoba locations from a longtime franchise group. The deal makes B Wild the brand's single largest franchisee.

What the Portfolio Looks Like

The 20 restaurants include 16 in Colorado, concentrated on the Western Slope in markets like Vail, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, and Carbondale, plus four in Alaska. Buying from an existing franchise group means these stores are already running, giving Dubin's team an operational base to optimize rather than a greenfield build-out to manage.

Why Portfolio Operators Prefer Acquisitions Over New Builds

Dubin's experience at KBP centered on scaling systems-driven operations across a large unit count. Acquiring an established block of locations delivers immediate system volume without the 18-to-24-month build-out timeline of ground-up development. For operators who already have HR, accounting, and field management infrastructure in place, buying an existing cluster is often the faster path to scale and the more capital-efficient one.

What It Signals for Qdoba's Development Strategy

Qdoba's chief development officer cited the brand's growth trajectory as the draw for Dubin. Bringing in a franchisee of this caliber signals that Qdoba is positioning itself as a multi-unit operator destination, rather than a single-unit starter brand. That framing matters when the brand competes for franchisee attention against Chipotle's shadow and a crowded fast-casual Mexican category.