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FRAN C H I S E E
Ron Stokes, president and chief operating officer of Roaring Fork.
ROARING FORK RESTAURANT GROUP QDOBA MEXICAN EATS
THE FRANCHISE: Milwaukee-based Roaring Fork Restaurant Group operates 55 Qdoba Mexican Eats locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa
“There are many stories like that,” Stokes said. “We are extremely intentional about helping people grow within the business and we provide the training and tools for that growth.”
1998 Roaring Fork Restaurant Group founded by Mike Pranke.
2005 Ron Stokes was running his own recruiting company in Portland when he heard Roaring Fork was looking for a director of operations. At the time, Roaring Fork had 15 Qdoba locations.
2006 Roaring Fork’s senior regional manager, who oversees eight stores, started as a cook in 2006. Finding franchise owners has been difficult, especially now, with the unemployment rate so low, Stokes said. People are often promoted from within the company. 2017 Roaring Fork will open a new concept, fast-casual restaurant Grate Mac & Cheese, in Menomonee Falls on Aug. 29. The Grate restaurant will be corporately owned, with no plans at this point to franchise it out, Stokes said. “If that goes well, we plan on growing the concept,” Stokes said.
Roaring Fork celebrated its 50th location in July in Stevens Point.
Roaring Fork also plans new Qdoba locations in Mukwonago in the fall and Johnson Creek in mid-2018. THE FRANCHISEE FEE Qdoba franchisees invest $500,000 to $750,000 to start their business. By comparison, it costs a Chick-fil-A franchisee $10,000 when they sign their operator’s agreement.
12 / BizTimes Milwaukee AUGUST 7, 2017
“I wanted to get back to the Midwest and I had been in Milwaukee at another point in my career and fell in love with the city and its people,” Stokes said.
Roaring Fork is the largest and fastestgrowing Qdoba franchisee in the United States, as well as the fastest-growing restaurant group in southeastern Wisconsin. It employs about 1,000 people in the state, including 20 at its headquarters
WISCONSIN QDOBA LOCATIONS