History of Noodles & Company

History of Noodles

History of Noodles & Company: Noodles and Company is a casual dining restaurant located within Broomfield, Colorado. It was founded around 1995 with the help of Aaron Kennedy, the chain faced challenges in its initial period and continued to grow quickly.

After a modest start of $300,000 in 1995, the company’s earnings grew to over $300 million by 2013. There are currently 339 locations in Noodles and Company, with a few franchises.

Early History

The background of Noodles and Company started in the hands of Aaron Kennedy, a former marketing executive at Pepsi.

After a meal in Mamie’s Asian Noodle Shop New York’s Greenwich Village, he immediately conceived the concept of the restaurant.

According to Kennedy the reason for this was that there was a demand for it since there weren’t enough restaurants or eateries that offered noodles.

Alongside Joe Serafin, who would become the company’s COO, Kennedy began developing recipes inspired by his mother in her cooking.

Kennedy managed to generate $73,000 out of his own pocket and another $200,000 was sourced from family members and other friends.

The first store opened within Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado in October of 1995, and a second store opened in March of the following year.

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Noodles & Company

History of Noodles & Company

Early Struggles and Revamp

In its initial three years in operating, Noodles & Company lost $42,000. In 1996, the company was in danger of closing due to negative reviews about the restaurant by the Wisconsin State Journal and the Denver Post.

Instead of closing, Kennedy began a campaign to revamp and reorganize all aspects of the business.

At the beginning of June 1996, Kennedy along with a group of managers traveled to Chicago to study what the most successful restaurants in the noodle industry were doing.

When they returned, however, the cellar of Noodles and Company was completely flooded. Then, unfazed, Kennedy went on to make a list of 15 items that the business needed to improve upon.

The list highlighted the need to enhance the menu, update the design and decor, and make prices more appealing to consumers.

A part of the remodel was that the use of warmer colors was a part of the theme of the restaurant. Additionally saute lines were added to cook dishes according to how they were ordered, which replaced the steam tables of old.

In addition, the executive chef was brought in to redesign the menu, and two managers were recruited to supervise the entire project.

While a number of changes were being implemented, however, they were put into the quickest time possible. Industry observers have noted that it took just two months for these drastic changes and enhancements to be in effect.

Success and Growth

The changes implemented were hugely beneficial to Noodles & Company. After a few years of losing revenue, the restaurant started to make money, ranging between $300,000 and more than $13 million.

At the same time, food critics started taking note and the restaurant earned an image as a safe restaurant for a meal after work.

In 2002, Noodles and Company-operated 37 restaurants. It grew to 65 in 2003, and in 2007 the total had been the number of 142. In 2007 was also when the restaurant began franchising.

Franchises that were franchised carried the latest colors and packaging improvements which were launched in 2004.

Noodles & Company also now focused more on take-out orders and also redesigned the restaurants to ensure that the saute line became more visible.

It was in the year 2006 that the corporate headquarters of Noodles and Company was relocated into Broomfield, Colorado from Boulder, and in that year Kennedy was removed as CEO to be replaced by Kevin Reddy.

Despite the shift and the financial turmoil of 2007-2008, Noodles & Company continued growing to 339 branches.

In addition to the expansion, a large part of Noodles & Company was bought through Catterton Partners and a group of investors.

In January 2013, it became known that the firm was preparing to launch an IPO and, just two days after the sale, the price of Noodles and Company shares doubled.

Franchises and Operations

A majority of Noodles and Company restaurants are operated by the business. However, more and more are currently franchising. The franchises are managed by a franchisee Noodles & Company trains.

To ensure high-quality the menu, as well as pricing, branding, and menu, are identical to the locations run by the company. Official site

The 2010 data show that each noodle and Company restaurant earns one million dollars in annual sales. million, which is an average profit of 21.

According to the most recent statistics take-out orders account for greater than 25 percent of the revenue.

The growth of franchising has been steady, however Noodles & Company is noted as being selective about franchise partners, which is why it has the greater proportion of restaurants which is owned and operated by its company.

The restaurant Noodles & Company has undergone many changes, the major changes are related to their menu. At present, the restaurant offers American and international cuisines and salads, sandwiches, pasta, and soups.

Most of their pasta dishes are vegetarian, however, options for tofu, shrimp, chicken, and beef are readily available.

Additionally, Noodles & Company is famous for its affordable meals, with the majority of menu items costing just only $8 for a person. Noodles & Company is also known as a source of recycled bamboo furniture.

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