Qdoba creates culinary hub at new headquarters

Qdoba

Qdoba’s corporate team occupies 32,000 square feet on the fourth floor of a building in San Diego known as the Ampersand office complex. The building recently underwent a $40 million overhaul under new owners, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Qdoba said the building’s owners, The Casey Brown Co., repurposed this property into a creative office campus. The building includes a fitness studio, a Qdoba café and 40,000-square-feet of outdoor communal space.

Qdoba

Two years ago, Qdoba had 40 corporate employees. Apollo Global Management bought the firm last year from Jack in the Box Inc. in a $305 million cash deal. Since the split, the 744-unit Qdoba has grown its corporate staff to 125 team members in San Diego. Employees celebrated the new offices with a ribbon cutting ceremony during the first week of June. Qdoba CEO Keith Guilbault is at center in the blue shirt.

Qdoba

Named “Qdoba Flavor Central,” the new office features exposed brick, concrete pillars and 14 feet of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The center of the office features a “Queso Hallway” that showcases the company’s classic orange color painted on the ceiling and walls to look like oozing melted cheese.

Qdoba

The Q café inside the corporate office is designed to look similar to the latest version of Qdoba restaurants. It is for employees only.

Qdoba

Employees work in the fourth floor of a five-story building previously occupied by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Qdoba’s old offices were on the Jack in the Box campus at 9330 Balboa Ave. in San Diego.

Qdoba

Qdoba moved into its new building during the first week of June. The Mexican fast-casual chain said it chose to “stay and invest” in San Diego by opening its new headquarters in the Mission Valley area of San Diego. The newly named HQ, Qdoba Flavor Central, will also serve as a hub for the culinary team to create and test menu innovations.