Qdoba Mexican Eats, the build-your-own burrito and bowl chain, isn’t just coming to Southwest Florida. It’s already here.  

The fast-casual restaurant chain, which has more than 750 locations in the U.S., began a planned expansion into the region Nov. 5 when the first area Qdoba opened at 537 SW Pine Island Road, unit 100, in Cape Coral, an outparcel in the Kohl’s-anchored shopping center just east of Nicholas Parkway.  

Pradeep Prashar, a longtime investor in Fort Myers, finally decided to relocate there in 2020 following 14 years in New Jersey. Prashar already had owned two 7-Eleven stores in Fort Myers and three Marco’s Pizza locations, one in Cape Coral and two in Lehigh Acres.  

As part of the Integrity Group, Prashar co-owns 32 Qdoba restaurants, the bulk of which are in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware with plans to establish up to nine more Qdoba locations in Southwest Florida. 

The far east unit of the Panera Bread-anchored outparcel at Page Field Commons is being outfitted to become the first Qdoba in Fort Myers. It is scheduled to open Sept. 15 in what used to be a bridal shop.  

“We did a lot of research,” Prashar said of choosing Cape Coral first. “And the research came out to be that the city of Cape Coral has a very strong presence of people from the Midwest. The brand itself, Qdoba, has a very strong presence in the Midwest.”  

The third Qdoba likely would be in or near Estero, Prashar said, and then the brand should spread to Naples before doubling back for a second Cape Coral location and then more thereafter.  

Qdoba has plenty of competition in the region, as there are 10 Moe’s, nine Chipotle restaurants and eight Three Pepper Burritos in Southwest Florida. But Prashar said there’s at least one way Qdoba differentiates itself from its primary competitor, Chipotle.

“We don’t upcharge for the queso or guac,” he said.