Franchising

Noodles & Co signs 55-unit franchise deal

Provided

January 10, 2022

Warner Foods, which operates over 150 Jack in the Box, Black Bear Diner and Panera Bread restaurants, will add 55 Noodles & Co locations to its portfolio.

Operating as NorCal Noodles, the company will develop 40 stores over the next 12 years in California. Additionally, the 15 company-owned Noodles & Company locations in California will be re-franchised to NorCal Noodles. The transaction is expected to close on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.

"We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Warner Foods to expand our brand further into the California market. Importantly, this also marks the second announced new franchise agreement in the last few months, reflecting momentum towards our goal to significantly increase our franchise locations as part of our overall growth plan," Dave Boennighausen, CEO of Noodles & Company, said in a company press release. "Warner Foods has a proven track record of superior operations, coupled with a people and guest-centric culture, making them the perfect fit to bring the Noodles & Company brand to more communities throughout California. With our economic model, on trend culinary innovation, and ability to meet the needs of today's consumer through our off premise and digital strengths, position the brand well as an attractive growth vehicle for franchise investment."

The chain will open seven to nine brands during the first quarter of 2022, anticipating 8%-unit growth in 2022 and 10% annual growth thereafter, according to the release.

"Noodles is one of the strongest brands in the fast-casual space, and over the past couple of years we've seen Noodles emerge as a leader in its ability to innovate its menu, its culture, and its brand," Eddie Nieves, partner and operator at Warner Foods, said in the release. "We're excited about the opportunity to partner with them and further grow Noodles in California, where we already do well with our other brands."

Noodles & Co has over 450 locations.