Is Your Market Right for a Noodles & Company Franchise?

Franchise Insights | Jun 6, 2022

A picture of the exterior of a Noodles & Company franchise at night, with a string of lights on the awning

As Noodles & Company continues to expand, we’re looking for experienced franchise owners in fresh territories who want to grow with us. But is your market right for a Noodles & Company franchise? See how Noodles can fit into many types of communities and how we choose the best communities for our restaurant franchises.

Find Customers in Any Community

With diverse flavors inspired by global cuisines, Noodles & Company differentiates itself in the marketplace while offering something for every guest. We’ve consciously created a menu full of classic favorites, like Wisconsin Mac & Cheese and Pad Thai, and bold new innovations like Cauliflower Rigatoni. From the vegetarian to the gluten-intolerant, we’ve been mindful to develop an inclusive menu that makes every guest feel welcome to dine with us.

The universal likability of noodles, combined with our diverse yet operationally simple menu, means there are few markets where a Noodles & Company franchise can’t thrive. No matter where your market is located, Noodles & Company can find a home in virtually any city that matches our minimum demographics criteria.

Brand Recognition Throughout the U.S.

After more than 25 years in business, the Noodles & Company franchise has developed a strong reputation in markets across the U.S. With locations in 31 states, we’ve permeated much of the country to create demand in diverse markets, but many prime regions remain untapped. As a Franchise Developer you’ll have the opportunity to execute a development agreement that will provide you with exclusive development rights to your market, and provide a timeline for you to build out the market, providing growth for your business and your operations team.

Remote work culture has also opened up new opportunities for restaurant franchises. More and more transplants are leaving the hustle and bustle of big cities behind in search of suburban or rural communities. The growth of these types of markets presents the Noodles & Company franchise with new territories with the demographics we need to perform well.

Adaptable Model for Your Market

To help you build the right restaurant franchise for your market, we’ve created flexible footprints ranging from 1,500 to 2,200 sq. ft. These restaurants feature indoor dining space, a semi-open kitchen, and a Quick Pickup tower for guests on the go. You may also choose to add on features like an outdoor patio and pickup window to create more value for your guests.

Our team will guide you throughout the buildout process, from site selection to equipment purchasing and everything in between. We’ll also help to design your restaurant, adapting our signature look to fit your space.

What Makes an Ideal Location

If your desired market is available and you’re approved for ownership, we’ll outline specific demographic data and rely on your knowledge of your market to pinpoint possible locations.

Noodles & Company restaurants are typically located in suburban and residential areas, with population density of 50,000 to 100,000 people. Our guests represent all demographics, however we skew higher with families with young children, and with the Millennial and Gen Z groups. Restaurants near established trade areas with daily needs such as grocery stores, and complimentary fast casual restaurants are ideal for Noodles. It’s also important your restaurant have strong visibility and easy access. This is especially crucial as Noodles caters to a lot of takeout orders, both through pickup and delivery.

Own a Growing Restaurant Franchise

Want to find out if your ideal market is still available? Head to this page to see a list of available markets. If you don’t see your desired territory on the map, we encourage you to reach out to our team. We’d be happy to discuss your goals and find the right market for you.

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