Springfield-based Burrito Concepts LLC today opened a Rogers, Ark., Qdoba Mexican Grill, the 11th for the Qdoba Restaurant Corp. franchisee.
Burrito Concepts has three Qdoba eateries in Missouri - all in Springfield, six in Oklahoma and two in Arkansas.
Member Manager Randy Allen said Burrito Concepts’ same-store sales grew by 8 percent in 2010. He declined to disclose system revenues, citing confidentiality in the franchise agreement.
With the Rogers eatery, Burrito Concepts is rolling out a year-old Qdoba prototype designed to soften the store’s look, Allen said. Gone are the stainless steel tables and open ceilings, and in their place are wooden tables, drop ceilings and wall treatments.
“It took us about five years to put this deal together,” Allen said. “Due to the shifting nature of the market in northwest Arkansas, we had a variety of landlords and investors. But we reached a deal last year.”
The 2,300-square-foot Rogers restaurant – only the 20th prototype in the Qdoba chain – is a smaller footprint than current Qdoba restaurants, Allen said. It also features an artisan chef station on the service line, showcasing the preparation of pico de gallo, guacamole and corn salsa, and an island beverage station, he said, adding that Springfield sites would be retrofitted under the company’s 10-year plan.
Allen said there are four other locations on Burrito Concepts’ docket.
“We’re looking at a fourth one in Springfield, between downtown and Missouri State University,” he said. “We’re waiting on a co-tenant to launch this new construction. We’re looking in Joplin, with an active letter of intent outstanding.”
Allen said the Springfield site is part of an 8,400-square-foot retail center in the Walnut St. neighborhood, but he declined to disclose specifics, pending an additional property acquisition.
The company also is pursuing locations in Bartlesville, Okla., and another in Tulsa.
Burrito Concepts is a division of Morelock-Ross Cos. and helped the construction and property management company record 2010 revenues of $115 million, up 33 percent from 2008. Morelock-Ross held the No. 9 spot in Springfield Business Journal’s 2011 Dynamic Dozen awards, honoring the Springfield area’s 12 fastest-growing companies. [[In-content Ad]]
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