Spice Up Your Holidays with Qdoba
By Matthew Downey
“Our restaurant is a concept of fresh food all day long,” Terry
Henderson CEO of the Southwest Michigan Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurants
proudly states from his office on a recent Thursday morning. “We
have no freezer, microwave, or can opener on site,” he adds as
he and the rest of the Qdoba team are gearing up for a busy holiday season.
Terry and Jean Henderson are the majority share holders and operating
partners of nine Southwest Michigan Qdobas. They have lived in our community
for many years and have extensive experience in the restaurant business.
They helped pave the way for other local favorite restaurant successes
like Big Apple Bagel and Little Caesar’s Pizza.
Terry, along with Kylie Jackson, marketing, and Katie Porath, catering,
took time out of their busy day to let me in on what sets Qdoba apart
from other “Fast Casual” style dining establishments.
“Fresh-Mex”
“
Our menu is what you might call, ‘Nuevo Mexican cuisine’,” Terry
tells me. The restaurant’s signature “fresh-mex”cuisine,
which is both healthy and tasty, was developed by the New York City Five-Star
chef Bob Hauser. Mr. Henderson emphatically points out, “Our menu
wasn’t developed by some average Joe; this man is a Five-Star chef.”
Chef Hauser studied at the Culinary Institute of America and worked
for a time at the famed La Cirque restaurant. In a 1995 Denver Post article
about the restaurant now known as Qdoba Mexican Grill, Mr. Hauser stated, “We
make our marinades and salsas from scratch, using seven different peppers.” The
same newspaper named Qdoba’s burritos as the “Best in Denver.” Locally,
Qdoba was a finalist in the Grand Rapids Magazine Dining Awards competition.
“Healthy may not be a term you normally associate with Mexican
food, but at Qdoba you’ll find options that are not only healthy,
but full of unique flavors. Here you don't have to search the menu up
and down to find something you'll feel comfortable eating. Many of the
restaurant’s best, most popular menu items are perfect for the
avid carb-counter. For example, the Poblano Pesto Naked Burrito has less
than eighteen net carbs.
Throw a Qdoba-catered party
Searching for that perfect twist to a holiday party? Wondering how you
might feed all of your relatives visiting for the holidays? Qdoba has
stress-free solutions that will meet your needs, keep you calm and
cool and will be easy on your bank account
According to Tiffany, one feature that sets Qdoba Mexican Grill apart
from a growing list of local competitors is the fine-tuned catering operations
that put customer ease and satisfaction first. Catering for all Southwest
Michigan Qdoba locations is coordinated through a toll-free number that
rings to the desk of Catering Manager Katie who works with clients to
assess their specific catering needs.
Qdoba catering offers three different sets of self-service bars: The
Hot Nacho Bar, Hot Taco Bar and Naked Burrito Bar. For example, the
Hot Taco Bar includes marinated grilled chicken and steak, soft and
hard tortilla shells, 3 homemade salsas, cheese, sour cream, Romaine
lettuce, made-from-scratch guacamole and tortilla chips. It also has
serving utensils, plates, napkins and forks. Hot catered bars average
$7.50/person and can be delivered and professionally set up.
Qdoba caters for all sorts of activities and their clients range from
pharmaceutical reps and doctors to moms, soccer coaches and schools.
Graduation parties are perfect with a catered Hot Taco Bar, and weddings
have recently begun calling for Qdoba catering as well. As an optional
service, Katie explains that she will arrange to provide on-site service
staff to help manage larger events.
Gearing up for the holidays, the Qdoba team explains that customers
interested in holiday catering should make their reservations early.
Menu Highlights
The philosophy of fresh all day, every day can be recognized throughout
Qdoba’s comprehensive menu.
Some of the menu’s highlights include: Poblano Pesto Burrito,
grilled chicken, Poblano Pesto with roasted poblanos and pine nuts ($5.59);
Fajita Ranchera Burrito featuring red onions, bell peppers, and a zesty
Ranchera sauce can be served with either chicken ($5.59) or flat iron
steak ($6.19); or the Flat Iron Steak Quesadilla, marinated grilled steak
and fresh Pico de Gallo ($6.69).
Vegetarians will also find great dining possibilities at Qdoba. The
menu allows for most anything to be served veggie-style, as well as a
couple of vegetarian menu standouts: Grilled Vegetable Burrito filled
with grilled zucchini, squash and red peppers tossed with a garlic herb
seasoning ($5.19); and the 100% Vegetarian Burrito that features Qdoba’s
special Homemade Guacamole ($4.99). Add the unique taste of the warm
3-cheese queso for an extra special burst of flavor.
The average Qdoba adult meal ticket runs $8 and a family of 4-5 can
eat for around $30. Kids meal combos which include tacos or grilled quesadillas
are approximately $3.00
In short, if you are looking for a new spin on Mexican, look no further.
Qdoba’s specialty lies in creating unique flavors and combining
them in lots of unexpected ways. The freshness, quality and price make
it perfect for any family outing. The ease and customer care makes Qdoba
catering the answer to any holiday party challenge.
For more information, check out Qdoba’s informative website, www.Qdoba.com . If you are interested in catering you can reach Katie Porath directly
at (866) 92-FRESH x 5 (Monday thru Friday, 9:00 – 5:00).
