Name: Kevin Carroll
New title: Chief operating officer, Qdoba
Previous title: Chief operating officer, Applebee’s
Carroll brings extensive experience working at casual chains, having spent the past seven years at Applebee's where he oversaw 1,600 units, according to a press release. Prior to Applebee’s, Carroll served as senior vice president of operations at Chili’s, overseeing operations at 700 company-owned restaurants, 35,000 team members and a $2 billion portfolio, per the release. Carroll spent 27 years at Chili’s in various positions.
CEO John Cywinski, who was previously president at Applebee’s and worked with Carroll for many years, called him “a deeply experienced and highly regarded executive.”
Carroll will be responsible for Qdoba’s operations strategy and execution across its 800 units in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, according to the release.
The company is eyeing significant growth, planning to double its size to over 1,600 units over the next 10 years. The chain said it had a 7.7% increase in comparable sales for its fiscal year ending September 2024, in addition to last year’s 6.3% comp sales growth.
The chain has been leaning heavily on its franchising strategy, which sets it apart from company-owned Mexican chains like Chipotle. In June, it began offering a $100,000 cash incentive to operators who open new restaurants before September 2026. That money is available to existing franchisees who add new units to their development plans and new franchisees who sign up for multiple units.
