What is the Noodles & Company policy regarding a franchisee's use of social media to promote their restaurant?
Noodles_Company Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may not promote, offer or sell any products or services relating to your Noodles & Company restaurant through, or use any of the Marks on, the Internet, social media, social networks or other future technological avenues (collectively, "Social Media") without our prior written consent, which we may withhold for any or no reason. You must, at all times, comply with our Social Media policy, as modified periodically. Your use of any Social Media relating to your Noodles & Company Restaurant is subject to our prior written approval. You may not establish an independent site or page on any
Social Media without our prior written consent. If we authorize you to have and/or design a site or a page on any Social Media for your Noodles & Company restaurant, your site and page may only be accessed from our site or page, and we may prohibit links between your site or page and any other site. Any use of Social Media by you with respect to your Noodles & Company restaurant is subject to the advertising restrictions in the Franchise Agreement. You must comply with any additional policies and standards we issue from time to time regarding Social Media. Any copyright in your sites or pages on any Social Media are owned by us, and you must sign any documents that we reasonably deem necessary to affirm our ownership of the copyright. If necessary, you must ensure that any web site service provider or web site hosting company with which you do business cooperates with us. On occasion, we may provide you content for your sites and pages on Social Media. We must consent to any changes to your sites and pages on Social Media.
Source: Item 13 — TRADEMARKS (FDD pages 53–58)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Noodles & Company Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must adhere to strict guidelines regarding social media use for their restaurants. A franchisee cannot promote, offer, or sell any products or services related to their Noodles & Company restaurant through any social media platforms without prior written consent from Noodles & Company, which can be withheld for any reason. Franchisees must always comply with Noodles & Company's social media policy, which may be modified periodically. Any use of social media related to the Noodles & Company restaurant requires prior written approval.
A franchisee is prohibited from establishing an independent site or page on any social media platform without Noodles & Company's prior written consent. If Noodles & Company authorizes a franchisee to have a site or page, it can only be accessed from Noodles & Company's official site or page, and Noodles & Company may prohibit links to other sites. All social media use is subject to advertising restrictions outlined in the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees must also comply with any additional policies and standards issued by Noodles & Company regarding social media.
Noodles & Company retains ownership of any copyright in the franchisee's social media sites or pages, and the franchisee must sign documents to affirm this ownership. Franchisees must ensure that any web service provider or hosting company they use cooperates with Noodles & Company. Noodles & Company may provide content for the franchisee's social media sites and pages and must consent to any changes made to these sites and pages. This level of control allows Noodles & Company to maintain brand consistency and manage its online presence effectively.
In practical terms, this means a prospective Noodles & Company franchisee needs to be prepared to cede significant control over their restaurant's social media presence to the franchisor. They will need to seek approval for all social media activities and ensure full compliance with Noodles & Company's policies. This may limit a franchisee's ability to implement independent marketing strategies or engage directly with local customers through social media without corporate oversight.