What is the required ambiance that a Noodles & Company restaurant must maintain?
Noodles_Company Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
remain active in overseeing the operations of your Noodles & Company Restaurant. If the relationship with your Operating Partner terminates, you must promptly hire a successor Operating Partner. Any successor Operating Partner must meet our approval and must successfully complete our training program at your sole cost and expense. You are solely responsible for all employment decisions with respect to your Personnel, including hiring, firing, compensation, training, supervision and discipline, regardless of whether you receive advice from us on any of these subjects.
9. NOODLES & COMPANY RESTAURANT OPERATING STANDARDS.
9.01 Condition of Your Noodles & Company Restaurant.
(a) You must constantly maintain and continuously operate your Noodles & Company Restaurant's condition and appearance so that it is attractive, clean and efficiently operated in accordance with the Operations Manual. You must maintain the interior and exterior of your Noodles & Company Restaurant and all fixtures, equipment, utensils, furnishings, floor coverings, interior and exterior signage, the building interior and exterior, interior and exterior lighting, landscaping and parking lot surfaces in firstclass condition and in the highest degree of cleanliness, orderliness, sanitation and repair in accordance with the requirements of the System and the Operations Manual and the lease or sublease for your Noodles & Company Restaurant (if applicable). You
agree to make such modifications and additions to your Noodles & Company Restaurant's layout, decor, operations and general theme as we require from time to time, including replacement of worn-out or obsolete fixtures, equipment, furnishings, signs and utensils, repair of the interior and exterior and appurtenant parking areas and periodic cleaning and redecorating (such as painting, new carpeting, new wall coverings and new fabrics for furniture).
- (b) There is no limitation on the amount that you may be required to spend for repairs and maintenance in connection with your Noodles & Company Restaurant. Expenditures in connection with signage (including point of sale, exterior and interior signage) and equipment (including equipment needed to prepare new menu items) are considered a maintenance expenditure (whether for repair or replacement) rather than a remodeling expenditure.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 99–350)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Noodles & Company's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must maintain their restaurants in an attractive, clean, and efficiently operated condition, adhering to the standards outlined in the Operations Manual. This includes keeping both the interior and exterior of the restaurant in first-class condition, with a high degree of cleanliness, orderliness, sanitation, and repair. This extends to all fixtures, equipment, utensils, furnishings, floor coverings, interior and exterior signage, the building itself, lighting, landscaping, and parking lot surfaces.
The FDD emphasizes that franchisees must make modifications and additions to the restaurant's layout, decor, operations, and general theme as required by Noodles & Company. This includes replacing worn-out or obsolete items and performing periodic cleaning and redecorating tasks such as painting, replacing carpeting and wall coverings, and updating furniture fabrics. The brand can notify franchisees of deficiencies in the restaurant's condition and specify the actions needed to correct them, and if the franchisee fails to address these issues within 14 days, Noodles & Company has the right to perform the maintenance at the franchisee's expense.
Failure to maintain the restaurant's condition and appearance as required by the Franchise Agreement and Operations Manual constitutes a material breach of the agreement. While there is no limit to the amount a franchisee may be required to spend on repairs and maintenance, these expenditures are considered maintenance rather than remodeling. If certain repairs are the landlord's responsibility, the franchisee must make diligent efforts to ensure the landlord completes them in a timely and workmanlike manner. This ensures that all Noodles & Company locations maintain a consistent brand image and quality, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and the overall success of the franchise system.