QDOBA Mexican Eats Appoints Jim Sullivan to Chief Development Officer

Former CKE Restaurant Holdings executive to bolster premier fast-casual restaurant chain's leadership and help drive future growth and expansion

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QDOBA

Jun 07, 2021, 08:00 ET

SAN DIEGO, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- QDOBA, the company voted best fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain in 2019, 2020, and 2021 by USA Today 10Best, announced today the appointment of Jim Sullivan, a seasoned restaurant industry executive with more than 25 years of experience in real estate, franchise development, and site acquisition management, to chief development officer. In his new role, Sullivan will lead all restaurant development activities, including market planning, site selection, real estate negotiations, franchise sales and more to support the company's aggressive growth plan.

Jim Sullovan Headshot

"Jim brings a unique perspective and strong leadership approach, backed by a proven track record of successfully accelerating franchise growth for some of the nation's leading restaurant concepts," said Keith Guilbault, CEO of QDOBA. "His expertise and years of experience in growing brands similar to ours in size and scale will serve us well in connecting with new franchise partners, expanding our nationwide footprint, and reaching new heights as a company."

Sullivan's accomplishments span 25 years and several prominent restaurant brands. Prior to joining QDOBA, Sullivan held leadership positions at CKE Restaurant Holdings, parent company to Carl's Jr, Hardee's, Green Burrito and Red Burrito Concepts, including executive vice president of domestic development and, most recently, chief development officer. There, Sullivan was responsible for all domestic development, real estate and construction activities such as design, restaurant maintenance, real estate, market planning, asset management, franchise sales strategies, compliance and more. Previously, he served in multiple leadership positions, including chief development officer of Friendly's Ice Cream Corporation and was the director of franchise sales, marketing and real estate at American Hospitality Concepts. Sullivan received his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Mini M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN.

"As a fan of the company, I'm thrilled to be joining QDOBA at such a pivotal moment in its next phase of expansion," adds Sullivan. "In my new role, I will be focused on entering new markets and strengthening our brand presence in existing markets."

Sullivan will serve on the company's Executive Leadership Team. For more information on QDOBA, visit www.QDOBA.com.

About QDOBA Mexican Eats
QDOBA is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with more than 740 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Committed to bringing flavor to people's lives, QDOBA uses ingredients prepared in-house, by hand, and fresh throughout the day, to create delicious menu options. Guests can experience QDOBA's delicious flavors by enjoying one of its signature menu options that are chef-crafted for convenience and ease or by customizing their burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads to fit their personal tastes. For three years running, QDOBA has been voted the "Best Fast Casual Restaurant" as part of the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Discover more at www.QDOBA.com or on the QDOBA app, which is available for download on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. Fans can also connect with QDOBA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE QDOBA