• by Teresa Buyikian , 10 hours ago

Qdoba is awarding a few lucky Class of 2025 graduates a tasty reason to hold on to their graduation caps, instead of enacting the traditional post-ceremony cap-toss.

The fast-casual Mexican chain has created The Chips & Queso Graduation Cap, a custom-designed hat for hungry grads, with a built-in chip and dip -- or in this case, chip and queso -- container on top.

The limited-edition Chips & Queso Graduation Cap is indeed limited; only five will be awarded in a company sweepstakes, along with free Qdoba for a year (in the form of a gift card worth $500).

"Graduating is a huge accomplishment but, let's be honest, those hours-long ceremonies can leave you hungry," commented Kelsey Kraatz, the brand’s senior manager of national media, in the announcement. "We're excited to help grads celebrate with a fun way to enjoy their favorite chips and queso in style and kick off ‘adulting’ (with free food).”

The promo began with short videos on the brand’s Instagram platform on May 13, which will run through May 15. College influencers such as Mia Manson (mia.mans) have posted sponsored videos on behalf of the contest as well.

In order to enter, graduates must comment on Qdoba's dedicated “giveaway post” on TikTok or Instagram with their school name, along with the hashtag #QDOBASweepstakes, as well as follow @QDOBA on Instagram and TikTok. More information is available here.

The grad cap isn’t the first apparel items with an edible component Qdoba created. Earlier this year the brand launched on Instagram what it referred to as “chip core”: a pair of latex pants with plenty of pockets to take the restaurant’s chips on-the-go.

Qdoba (which the brand says stands for “flavor”) currently has approximately 800 locations across 46 states in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and South Korea.