Qdoba Unveils 'the Quentessa,' a Hot, Imaginary Woman Who Loves Qdoba

Qdoba is tired of playing second fiddle to Chipotle in the world of Fresh-Mex chain restaurants, so they came up with an unusual marketing tactic. She is called the Quentessa, and she’s a hot fantasy woman who is essentially Qdoba’s ideal customer. According to babynamespedia.com, Quentessa is derived from Latin roots and means “essence.”

The Quentessa has a lot of power in her nonexistent hands, since Qdoba plans to redesign everything to reflect her tastes: store architecture, branding, the menu and even the way employees communicate with customers. “Guys want her number, and girls kind of want it, too,” vice president of brand marketing David Craven told Fast Company. “She’s naturally magnetic, leads a story-filled life, and invites others to do the same. She’s a personification of flavor in our lives.” A personification of flavor!

As for whom might have been the inspiration for the Quentessa? Apparently it was a combination of three women we all know. “We thought about Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook,” described president Tim Casey. “Mila Kunis in her Jim Beam work recently. Uma Thurman in some of her movies—like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill…But this idea of having boldness. Flavor. Badass without trying. Sophisticated, yet approachable and successful.”

Aside from making Quentessa the official goddess of Qdoba, the company has already made changes that set themselves apart from their competitor. One notable difference is guac is NOT extra at Qdoba. You better watch out, Chipotle. Qdoba’s new approach seems to be working. I already want to know more about this fascinating imaginary Quentessa. What does she wear? What’s on her Netflix queue? Plus, I’m now craving tacos.