NOODLES & COMPANY
Noodles & Company franchises fast-casual restaurants specializing in noodle dishes, salads, soups, desserts, breads, beverages, and related merchandise. Franchisees enter into area development agreements to develop and operate multiple restaurants (minimum three-unit commitment), offering in-restaurant dining, patio seating, delivery, and carry-out services while adhering to the franchisor's menu, design, and operational standards. The business targets the general public for personal consumption in a highly competitive restaurant industry against fast-casual, fast food, full-service eateries, and grocery stores.
Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 0% ABDF (brand fund) + 1.25% MAF + 1% FMF (local) + $1,000/mo technology support
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 90 Franchise-owned restaurants open and operating during the 52-week period ended December 31, 2024
* Franchise average gross profit and EBITDA were derived by applying the expense percentages (Cost of Sales 25.8%, Labor 33.3%, Controllable Expenses 14.0%, Occupancy Cost 9.9%, Non-Controllable Expenses 6.1%) from the Company-owned Restaurant P&L (Page 3) to the Franchise Average Net Sales of $1,255,113 (Page 1). A 5% royalty fee (5% of $1,255,113 = $62,755.65) was then deducted from the calculated EBITDA before royalties, as instructed in Item 19, Note 9 (Page 4), to reflect a franchisee's expenses. Net Income and Net Profit could not be calculated due to a lack of information on interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization for franchisees.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How NOODLES & COMPANY Compares
Key Insights
- Higher investment than 75% of Fast Casual franchises
- Higher than average SBA loan default rate in Fast Casual
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NOODLES & COMPANY Current | $669K – $1.4M | $35K | 5.0% | 92 |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT) | $379K – $1.4M | $20K | 6.0% | 1,248 |
| Zaxby's | $1.4M – $3.8M | $35K | 6.0% | 826 |
| Qdoba | $548K – $1.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 652 |
Fast Casual Average 107 franchises | $532K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+5 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for NOODLES & COMPANY franchisees (2015 – 2024)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
95 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
95 Contacts Available
Unlock all NOODLES & COMPANY franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a NOODLES & COMPANY franchise ranges from $669,000 to $1,412,000. This includes a franchise fee of $35,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
Unlock Full FDD Access
Download NOODLES & COMPANY's complete FDD plus 1,700+ other franchise documents — all with one plan.
Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel anytime
Also includes FDDs for
More Food & Beverage Franchises
Subway
Food & Beverage
MCDONALD'S
Food & Beverage
DUNKIN'
Food & Beverage
DOMINO'S PIZZA
Food & Beverage
Burger King
Food & Beverage
POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN
Food & Beverage