One menu item brought 156,000 new customers to Noodles & Company. Now it’s making a big change
Fast casual chain Noodles & Company is about as far from an authentic izakaya as it gets, but it’s confident you’ll want to eat ramen there anyway. The cuisine-agnostic noodle chain serves everything from carbonara and mac and cheese to pad thai, but now it’s betting big on the Japanese casual dining staple. The company just announced that ramen would earn a permanent category on its menu…
Noodles & Company, a fast casual chain known for its diverse menu, has announced it will introduce ramen to its permanent offerings after the success of a limited-time chili garlic ramen dish last year. The ramen launch reportedly brought in 150,000 new customers to the brand. The new menu will feature three ramen options, each inspired by different world cuisines – Italian, Korean, and Japanese – all presented as brothless bowls.
Noodles & Company's Culinary R&D Vice President Tina Massey expressed excitement about the new ramen lineup, highlighting the versatility of the noodle in delivering unique flavor experiences. The company's CEO and president, Joe Christina, revealed that recent strategic decisions to close underperforming locations have paid off, as evidenced by a 10% increase in same-store sales in the latest earnings report.
Noodles & Company faces challenges, like many of its competitors, in the inflationary post-pandemic era, but innovative menu items like the new ramen dishes are aimed at attracting new customers.
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