Leading fast-casual Mexican restaurant collaborates with cult-favorite Cholula® Hot Sauce to launch limited-time menu offering

SAN DIEGO (August 27, 2020)—QDOBA, the fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain known for memorable flavors, today announced the addition of a new, limited-time menu offering: Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken. Made every day in its kitchens with grilled in-house chicken tossed in a flavorful blend of Cholula Original Hot Sauce and sweet honey, Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken adds sweet heat to what is sure to become your favorite QDOBA entrée.

"At QDOBA, our brand goal is to bring flavor to people's lives, and in Cholula, we've found another brand that shares that purpose," said CEO Keith Guilbault. "We strive to bring our guests the best Mexican flavors, with entrees freshly prepared every day, and the launch of Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken underscores that goal while giving our fans another reason to love QDOBA."

Guests can easily add the new Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken into their favorite entrees or enjoy it as part of QDOBA's Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken Bowl. The newest addition to the company’s Signature Eats lineup, the Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken Bowl, was created by in-house executive chef Katy Velazquez and is served with cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cotija cheese.

This new menu offering was created in collaboration with Cholula Hot Sauce, a cult-favorite hot sauce brand with a proud Mexican heritage that is now a fixture in American homes and restaurants. Unlike other hot sauce brands, Cholula Hot Sauce differentiates itself on flavor, not heat, making the synergies between both brands unmatched. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to share Cholula's perfect balance of heat and flavor to QDOBA's exciting new menu.” Maura Mottolese, CEO of The Cholula Food Company.

The National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot Culinary Forecast 2020" named Sweet Heat as its #1 flavor trend for 2020. Hot and spicy is here to stay, as U.S. consumers are consistently looking for authentic flavors and dishes. According to recent consumer trend reports, 59 percent of consumers aged 18–34 prefer spicy foods. This trend has been driven not only by millennials looking for exciting food and experiences but also by individuals who want to cut sodium, fats, and sugars, without sacrificing flavor. With this collaboration, QDOBA reaffirms its commitment to introducing consumers to the flavors they love.

Cholula® Hot & Sweet Chicken is available for a limited time to order in-restaurant, online, or through the QDOBA app for curbside pick-up or delivery at all QDOBA U.S. locations. For more information, visit www.QDOBA.com.

About Cholula Hot Sauce

Cholula Hot Sauce is the delicious result of a recipe using a blend of arbol and piquin peppers along with a creative mix of spices and inspired by its rich Mexican heritage. The iconic wooden cap represents the true commitment to craftsmanship behind every product. In addition to the Original recipe, the product line includes five additional varieties – Chipotle, Green Pepper, Chili Garlic, Chili Lime and Sweet Habanero, which can be found at retail and in food service establishments nationwide. For more information about Cholula Hot Sauce, check out www.cholula.com.