Can Noodles & Company modify its site selection criteria at its discretion?

According to the 2025 Noodles & Company Franchise Disclosure Document, the company retains the right to modify its site selection criteria at its discretion. While franchisees are responsible for selecting potential sites for their Noodles & Company restaurants, these sites are subject to the franchisor's approval. The FDD states that Noodles & Company will provide franchisees with their site selection criteria and may also conduct on-site evaluations as deemed appropriate.

The approval of a site is based on Noodles & Company's reasonable business judgment. This means that the company can change the criteria it uses to evaluate potential locations. This could include factors such as demographic information, traffic patterns, visibility, site economics, and the presence of other food establishments.

For a prospective franchisee, this implies that the site selection criteria provided initially are subject to change. Therefore, a location that might have initially seemed suitable based on the original criteria may later be rejected if Noodles & Company modifies its standards. It is important for franchisees to maintain open communication with Noodles & Company during the site selection process to stay informed of any changes to the criteria and to understand how these changes might affect the approval of their chosen location. Franchisees should also be aware that Noodles & Company does not provide any guarantee of success, profitability, or viability of a location, even if the site is approved.