the "fast casual" category, offering both quick service and a higher quality of food than typical fast-food restaurants. Customers order by selecting an entrée then choosing its ingredients. All of the items are made in plain view of the customer. To distinguish itself from some of its competitors, Qdoba serves breakfast, and some locations are open 24 hours on weekends. Qdoba has also opened restaurants in non-traditional locations, such as directly on college campuses, and participates in some college meal plans. Through agreements with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, Qdoba can be found on selected U.S. military bases across the nation. Competition The main national rivals to Qdoba are Chipotle Mexican Grill (which also started in Denver, two years before Qdoba), Baja Fresh, Moe's Southwest Grill and, to a lesser extent, Panchero's Mexican Grill, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill, and Rubio's Coastal Grill. Incidents and lawsuits White City Shopping Center In 2006, the company was involved in a lawsuit in which Panera Bread attempted to invoke a clause in Panera's contract with the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to stop the opening of a Qdoba Mexican Grill. The clause provided that Panera would be the only sandwich shop in the shopping center. Panera argued that burritos and other tortilla-based foods were, in fact, sandwiches. Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke ruled against Panera, concluding, "A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans." 2015 typhoid incident Three customers who got sick after eating at a Qdoba restaurant in Firestone, Colorado, were found to have been infected with the bacterium Salmonella typhi which causes typhoid fever. Two of the customers had to be hospitalized. The source of the infect was traced to an infected food handler who was asymptomatic. Violation of child labor laws In 2019, a minor filed a complaint to the General Attorney's Office at Newton, Massachusetts, stating that they had worked overtime at Qdoba. This led to a state-wide investigation that resulted in auditing all locations in Massachusetts. Qdoba paid over $400,000 in citations due to the thousands of violations they received due to Massachusetts' child labor laws. Glenwood Springs food contamination In 2020, four customers were hospitalized after consuming contaminated food in Glenwood Springs, Colorado Qdoba. The food was contaminated by an unspecified