Dive Brief:

• Qdoba, which historically has focused on local marketing, is out with new creative as it prepares to push its marketing nationally next year, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• Younger millennials and Gen Z are the target audience for a recently released limited-time menu item, Queso Apocalypto, which the chain is claiming is its spiciest queso yet and will be featured in marketing.
• The new item, launched on National Queso Day (Sept. 20), was born out of research from NC Solutions indicating 60% of Gen Z consumers prefer spicy foods. Developed with agency Leo Burnett, which landed the Qdoba account in January 2024, the item will be promoted through social media, radio, digital and influencer partnerships.

Dive Insight:

Mexican-food-themed days are a popular marketing focus for Qdoba competitor Chipotle, which has staked out National Avocado Day, National Burrito Day and upcoming National Quesadilla Day. Now, Qdoba is looking to grab a day of its own. The chain’s signature queso, which is offered free on any of its create-your-own entrees, already has a strong fan base. The new Queso Apocalypto is intended to emphasize to consumers interested in spicy food — a growing food trend — that it is a go-to chain for bold flavors.

The effort also points to the need to look beyond traditional advertising to connect with consumers and comes as the chain is planning to open new locations.

“Coming up with ads isn’t enough anymore. As their partner, we proactively seek out smart, innovative ways to help our client’s business grow,” said Brian Shembeda, executive vice president and executive creative director at Leo Burnett, in a statement. “For National Queso Day, that meant inventing a spicier alternative to Qdoba’s award-winning Queso.”

The Queso Apocalypto uses Qdoba’s Queso Diablo as its base and adds on fiery hot crunchies, salsa roja, habanero salsa and pickled jalapenos.

Queso Apocalypto’s introductory social, digital, influencer and radio campaign will feature imagery highlighting the product’s spiciness, such as a person handling the product in a flame-retardant suit, and behind-the-scenes content from Qdoba’s test kitchen.

Qdoba’s attempt to own National Queso Day and its upcoming national brand campaign come at a time when the fast-casual chain’s main competitor, Chipotle, is particularly vulnerable. In August, Chipotle’s Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol announced he would leave the company to become Chairman and CEO at Starbucks. Chipotle’s chief operating officer, Scott Boatright, was named interim CEO and Scott Maw, the company’s lead independent director, was named chairman. For the second quarter, Chipotle reported 11.1% same-store sales growth, based in large part on an 8.7% gain in comparable transactions. 

Earlier this year, John Cywinski, CEO of Qdoba parent Modern Market Concepts, announced the chain planned to have more than 1,000 outlets by 2027 (up from about 750 currently) and would expand to 1,500 by 2033. Cywinski cited Qdoba’s franchising model as an advantage over Chipotle, which does not franchise its stores.