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Noodles & Co expands employee benefits, adds chief brand ambassador

March 2, 2018

Noodles & Company has upgraded its employee benefits package to include six weeks of fully paid maternity leave, $10,000 in adoption assistance, expanded parental leave and student loan debt assistance. The goal of the initiative — #LifeatNoodles — is to make the company one of the best places to work in the fast casual industry by 2020, according to a company press release.

"We value and care for every one of our team members, and we aspire to make Noodles the most enjoyable and rewarding place to work in the industry," CEO Dave Boennighausen, said in the release. "In keeping with this goal, we developed #LifeatNoodles to reward our hard-working team members and attract top talent. On Jan. 1, we made additional industry-leading benefits available to our teams, and we plan to continue to grow this program."

New team member benefits for eligible employees include:

• Six weeks of fully paid maternity leave and expanded parental leave.
• Adoption assistance of $10,000.
• Student loan debt assistance of $1,000 per year to general managers.
• Veterans Day paid time off for veterans.
• Breast milk shipment payment during business travel.
• Flexible time off for corporate team members.
• Noodles & Company has always offered team members competitive standard benefits including dental and vision coverage, employee assistance programs and 401(k) retirement plans. The company also offers medical insurance to eligible team members, and assistant general managers and above receive life insurance and disability coverage.

"Our team members are compassionate and care about each other's success, and this program was designed with that in mind," Boennighausen said. "In addition to parental leave and student loan debt assistance, we're proud to offer programs that inspire and support our team members, such as time-off-gifting and an annual holiday turkey fundraiser for team members in need."

Noodles names ambassador
The chain, this week, named Chas Hermann as its chief brand ambassador. Hermann's responsibilities, according to a company press release, will include developing and executing the company's marketing, menu, and culinary strategy. He starts Monday and will report directly to CEO Dave Boennighausen.

"I am delighted to welcome Chas Hermann to the Noodles team," Boennighausen said in the release. "His vast experience and track record leading brand strategy across a wide variety of different growth companies coupled with his alignment to our strong core values will be a great asset as we continue to execute on our strategy to become one of the leaders in the fast casual restaurant landscape."

Hermann was the principal at Chas Hermann Consulting, where he partnered with executives and leadership teams to focus organizations on key business strategies that position products, services and operations to build brands and deliver profitable growth, according to the release. Among the companies he worked with were Papa Murphy's, Del Taco and Redbox.

Prior to his consulting role, Hermann held marketing, merchandising and financial leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, The Walt Disney Company and Universal Orlando Resort.

"Noodles & Company is a uniquely positioned brand that I have long admired," said Hermann. "I am thrilled to join the company at such a special time. The company's brand culture of passion and purpose creates great guest experiences and great tasting food that will lead the brand to major growth ahead."