On what basis is the reputation and goodwill of Noodles & Company restaurants maintained?
Noodles_Company Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The reputation and goodwill of Noodles & Company restaurants are based on, and must be maintained by, the sale of distinctive high-quality products, merchandise and services. Therefore, your Noodles & Company restaurant must use and offer for sale only food products, beverages, ingredients, uniforms, packaging materials, menus, forms, labels and other supplies and other products and services that conform to our specifications and quality standards and/or are purchased from suppliers we have approved. Where we have Proprietary Products, you must use the ingredients and products without exception. The list of brands and suppliers are contained in our Noodles & Company Operations Manual, and we may modify that list when we deem necessary in our sole discretion. After notice of a modification, you may not reorder any brand or reorder from any supplier that is no longer approved.
If you propose to use any brand and supplier that is not then approved by us, you must first notify us and submit sufficient information, specifications and samples concerning the brand and supplier so that we can decide whether the brand complies with our specifications and standards and the supplier meets our approved supplier criteria. We have the right to charge reasonable fees to cover our costs. We will notify you of our decision in accordance with the Franchise Agreement. We may prescribe procedures for the submission of requests for approval and impose obligations on suppliers, which we may require to be incorporated in a written agreement. We may impose limits on the number of suppliers and brands for any of the items. We may formulate and modify, at our sole discretion, specifications and standards we impose on franchisees and suppliers. Specifications and standards are issued to franchisees through the Noodles & Company Operations Manual and to suppliers by written agreement.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 28–32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Noodles & Company Franchise Disclosure Document, the reputation and goodwill of Noodles & Company restaurants are maintained through the sale of distinctive, high-quality products, merchandise, and services. To uphold this standard, franchisees must exclusively use and offer food products, beverages, ingredients, uniforms, packaging materials, menus, forms, labels, and other supplies that adhere to Noodles & Company's specifications and quality standards. These items must be purchased from approved suppliers.
Noodles & Company places particular emphasis on proprietary products, requiring franchisees to use specific ingredients and products without exception. The list of approved brands and suppliers is detailed in the Noodles & Company Operations Manual, which the company may modify at its discretion. Franchisees are prohibited from reordering from any brand or supplier once it is no longer approved, following notification of the change.
If a franchisee wishes to use a brand or supplier not currently approved, they must first seek approval from Noodles & Company by submitting comprehensive information, specifications, and samples. Noodles & Company reserves the right to charge fees to cover the costs of this review process. This rigorous control over sourcing and product quality is designed to ensure consistency and maintain the brand's reputation across all franchise locations.