Published on: May 12th 2023
Written by: Maunette Loeks
Article Source: Star Herald
When local businessman Adam Gollas posted on Facebook Monday, his social media share got quite the response: 219 shares and 89 comments, as of Tuesday.
His announcement? Gollas will be opening a Qdoba Mexican Eats restaurant later this summer. The restaurant will be located inside the Essential Fuels convenience store and fuel station at 27th Street and Avenue I, which opened on Monday.
Gollas told the Star-Herald that he is excited to bring the business to the Scottsbluff community.
“I think everybody is pretty excited about it,” he said.
Gollas and his wife, Taylor, are also the owners of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches, which opened in March 2020 in the first Essential Fuels location in Scottsbluff at the corner of East Overland and Highway 26. When looking for a second company to work with, Gollas said he chose Qdoba because it allows purchases of franchises.
“I am the owner,” he said. “We just kind of bought a nibble of the company.”
It’s a similar process to purchase a Qdoba franchise as with Which Which, he said, with Gollas having to go through a pre-qualification process before submitting an application.
“There’s a lot that goes into it before you are even approved,” he said. “It’s something that we really wanted to bring. We wanted something different. We didn’t want to be repetitive and continue to just offer the same thing.”
Though there are lots of Mexican restaurants in Scottsbluff, which Gollas is well aware of since his family is longtime owners of the El Charrito restaurant, he said he thinks that Qdoba’s offerings are different enough that they will appeal to people.
“Sometimes, people misunderstand since it is a chain,” he said, noting that some restaurants chains only allow corporate ownership. However, that is not the case with Qdoba, which made it attractive to him. “People shop local, and they’ll be still shopping local, because it is locally owned and operated.”
Gollas also owns the 24/7 Fitness in Scottsbluff and his own company, called ATG Investments. His family is also longtime owners of the El Charrito Restaurant.
An exact opening date for the Qdoba is not yet known. Gollas said that construction at the site has encountered delays in materials and other things since it began, but he is optimistic that it will be open within the next couple of months.
In the meantime, Gollas has completed training and so has his general manager. He will soon begin the hiring process, with postings on different websites, including the Qdoba company’s website, to fill 30 positions.
Gollas said it’s an exciting time to be opening a new business in the Scottsbluff community, saying he has been involved in discussions about other local offerings that will be coming forth in the future, including from Essential Fuels owner Eric Reichert. Reichert purchased the Western Travel Terminal locations in Scottsbluff and Gering last year, and Gollas said plans are taking shape for remodels at both locations.
“There are definitely some people who are doing some good things in our community,” he said.
