According to the Noodles & Company franchise agreement, who owns the trademarks?

According to the 2025 Noodles & Company Franchise Disclosure Document, Noodles & Company owns the trademarks associated with the Noodles & Company restaurant system. Specifically, Noodles & Company has developed and owns a comprehensive system for developing and operating Noodles & Company Restaurants, including trademarks, trade dress, signage, building specifications, designs and layouts, equipment, ingredients, specifications and recipes for authorized food products, methods of inventory control, training programs and certain operational and business standards, policies and procedures, all of which Noodles & Company may improve, further develop or otherwise modify from time to time.

This means that as a franchisee, you are granted the right to use these trademarks under the conditions and terms outlined in the franchise agreement, but you do not own them. Noodles & Company retains ownership and control over its brand identity, ensuring consistency and quality across all franchised locations.

Noodles & Company also reserves additional rights, including the right to manufacture and sell products similar to those sold in Noodles & Company restaurants using similar brand names through various distribution channels. They also reserve the right to operate and franchise other concept restaurants and develop other franchise systems for similar products and services using different trademarks. This reservation of rights underscores that the franchisee's rights are limited to those specifically granted in the Franchise Agreement, while Noodles & Company maintains broad control over its brand and related business activities.