This story is part of “Post-Close: An Inside Look at Franchise M&A Outcomes,” a digital series in which Franchise Times revisits past Dealmakers winners to explore how they’re putting investment dollars to work, if integration of that acquisition is going as planned and what…
ey’ve learned in the process. Qdoba CEO John Cywinski made a solid impression on franchisees during his tenure with Applebee’s, which he led from 2017 through 2022
So much so that a number of prominent Applebee’s operators have added Qdoba to their portfolios since he joined that company at the start of 2023. There’s Jon Rolph, the CEO of Kansas-based Thrive Restaurant Group, which owns 136 Applebee’s and 13 Qdobas. Another example is The Rose Group, led by CEO Jason Rose, which operates 54 Applebee’s and two Qdoba stores.
It signed a deal last year to open 35 locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Seasoned Applebee’s franchisee Doherty Enterprises is also part of Qdoba’s East Coast push; the group signed an agreement for 27 stores in New York and New Jersey. Just shy of four years under Butterfly Equity, Qdoba is on track to meet its growth aspirations with new and existing operators.