BROOMFIELD, Colo. , Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS) today announced a partnership with Warner Foods as its new exclusive franchise partner for the state of California. Warner Foods runs over 150 Jack in the Box, Black Bear Diner, and Panera Bread restaurants. Warner Foods, which will carry out its 12-year growth plan commitment as NorCal Noodles, LLC (NorCal Noodles) under this agreement, will build 40 new Noodles & Company locations across the state. Additionally, as part of the agreement, NorCal Noodles will re-franchise all 15 of the current company-owned Noodles & Company locations in California. The deal is anticipated to be completed on January 12, 2022, a Wednesday.
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Warner Foods to further expand our brand into the California market,” said Dave Boennighausen, CEO of Noodles & Company. Importantly, this is also the second new franchise agreement that has been publicly announced in the recent months, demonstrating progress toward our goal of significantly increasing the number of franchise locations as part of our overall growth strategy. Warner Foods is the ideal candidate to expand the reach of the Noodles & Company brand throughout California because of their demonstrated track record of excellent operations and customer- and people-centric culture. The brand is well-positioned as an appealing growth vehicle for franchise investment thanks to its economic model, on-trend culinary innovation, and capacity to satisfy the needs of today’s consumers through its off-premise and digital strengths. “.
We are thrilled to add Noodles to our portfolio of brands, Eddie Nieves, partner and operator at Warner Foods, said. One of the most powerful brands in the fast-casual market is Noodles, and in the last few years, we’ve seen Noodles establish itself as a pioneer in the ability to innovate its menu, its culture, and its brand. Being able to work with them to expand Noodles in California, where we already have success with our other brands, excites us. “.
Noodles & Company has entered a phase of rapid expansion; seven to nine new locations are expected to open in the first quarter of 2022, and 8% unit growth is anticipated in that year, followed by 10% annual growth after that.
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About Noodles & Company Since 1995, Noodles & Company has served noodles prepared to your preferences, using both familiar and novel flavors and noodles. The company offers a world of flavor in every bowl, from decadent Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to healthier Zoodles and Other Noodles. Noodles, which has more than 450 restaurants and thousands of passionate team members, was recently recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity Award 2021 and by the Denver Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work for its distinctive culture based on the principle of “Loving Life,” which starts by nourishing and inspiring each team member and customer who enters the establishment. Noodles has also proudly partnered with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to develop cultural intelligence within its teams and received the Women in the Lead Certification for its investment in women-empowering initiatives for its female team members. Visit www to find out more and the location closest to you. noodles. com.
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Our name at Noodles & Company pretty much sums everything up. We’re all about the noodle shops and the people who make them even more fun. It’s the reason we make each dish by hand to your specifications and serve each order with the flavors and experiences that make it truly special. When it comes to Noodles & Company, we can satisfy all of your cravings from preparing classics to serving salads, sides, and desserts.
More fallout from the data breach
As if the bad press from the actual breach wasnt enough, later in 2016, an Oregon credit union sued Noodles and Company for failure to facilitate the necessary security measures to prevent the breach from happening. The credit union sought class action status for the lawsuit, claiming financial institutions had to bear the brunt of the expense of replacing cards, halting transactions and refunding non-customer purchases, among other hassles. The plaintiffs also called out Noodles and Company for not having implemented the chip system for credit cards. (To Noodles credit though, chip readers are a pain).
A judge ended up dismissing the lawsuit, claiming that ultimately the law protected Noodles in this instance and that the financial institutions needed to take up their issues with Visa and Mastercard. Still, its never great PR to be entangled in the legal system for any reason, and the dismissal didnt happen overnight. The lawsuit was filed in September 2016 and not dismissed until July 2017. Its not hard to imagine that Noodles and Companys legal troubles could have left a bad taste in the mouth of many hungry, noodle-loving consumers.
Former workers who claimed they were owed money for overtime hours filed a lawsuit, which presented Noodles and Company with another legal challenge. The business, according to the former assistant managers, declared them exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act. The former managers contended that they were expected to perform the same tasks as the hourly workers who did receive overtime and that they “exercise no little or no managerial discretion,” despite Noodles representatives’ claims that because these workers were paid salaries, they were exempt from the law’s “white-collar exemption.” “.
While Noodles and Company agreed to pay $3 million in a settlement agreement in 2016 (some of which went to the plaintiffs’ attorneys), it never formally admitted to any labor law violations. It’s possible that the complaints and subsequent lawsuit did give the business a bad reputation for treating employees, which may be why many fast-casual eateries added Noodles and Company to their list of businesses they don’t support.
In exchange for Warner Foods agreeing to open 40 additional Noodles & Company locations in the state over the following 12 years, Noodles & Company has agreed to sell 15 of its company-owned locations in California. The fast-casual noodle chain announced this on Monday.
Boennighausen added that the 450-unit Noodles & Company’s menu options, which included lighter fare like zucchini noodles, lower-carb, higher-protein LEANguine that is currently in test, as well as its well-known mac & cheese and stuffed tortelloni, made it appealing to a wide audience and also helped it perform well in searches on third-party delivery apps.
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary This story has been updated with mention of another franchise agreement signed for new Noodles & Company locations in Texas. Related
Although he didn’t anticipate seeing many other refranchising opportunities, he claimed that “Warner Foods joins the fold because the brand is really positioned well to attract that level of franchisee.” ”.
NorCal Noodles LLC will be formed by Warner, which already runs more than 150 eateries under the Jack in the Box, Panera Bread, and Black Bear Diner brands, to run the Noodles & Company restaurants.
FAQ
Is Noodles and company-owned by Panera?
Noodles & Co has both company operated stores and franchisees. 239 company-owned Noodles & Co. locations generated $253 million in revenue last year, and $2 45 franchised stores generated $6 million in sales, bringing the total revenue from 284 restaurants to $256 million. What’s the Deal With Noodles & Company?Company5 year CAGRPanera17. 22%McDonald’s4. 62%.
Are Chipotle and Noodles owned by the same company?
This was a question that GIS students Aubrey Austin and Amy Gosewisch were very interested in exploring. Even though it can be determined that they are not owned by the same company, the students came to the conclusion that there is most definitely a connection between the two restaurant chains.
Who bought Noodles company?
Sudesh Sood, Eddie Nieves, and Ben Nematzadeh, partners at Warner Foods, are the sole franchise owners of Noodles & Company in California following the signing of a development agreement for 40 units and the purchase of 15 company-owned restaurants.
