What sections of the Noodles & Company Franchise Agreement outline the franchisee's obligations regarding site selection and acquisition/lease?
Noodles_Company Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
service in the future, you may be required to pay the fees associated with such model or service.
Before you acquire, by lease or purchase, any site for a Noodles & Company restaurant, you must submit a complete Site Package to us. We will provide training to you to assist you in completing a typical Site Package for your first restaurant. We will review each Site Package and determine whether to approve the site after considering factors we deem appropriate, including the general location and neighborhood, demographic information, site economics, traffic patterns, access, visibility, location of other restaurants and food establishments, size, configuration, signage and trade dress that is available, appearance and other physical and non-physical characteristics of the site. If we approve the site, we will deliver to you a signed Site Approval Form. We will use reasonable efforts to make a site approval decision within 45 days after we acknowledge receipt of a complete Site Package and any other materials we have requested. However, this timeframe is an estimate and may be subject to delays depending on market conditions or additional due diligence requirements. (Area Development Agreement, Section 3.02; Franchise Agreement, Section 3.01).
Neither our approval of the premises nor any information communicated to you regarding our standard site selection criteria for Noodles & Company restaurants will constitute a warranty or representation of any kind, express or implied, as to the suitability of the site for a Noodles & Company restaurant. Our approval of the proposed site merely signifies that we are willing to grant a franchise for a Noodles & Company restaurant at the site. The decision to enter into a lease or purchase agreement for a site is solely the responsibility of the franchisee. Noodles & Company is not responsible for financial outcomes associated with site selection. Your Noodles & Company restaurant may not be closed or relocated without first obtaining our written consent. (Franchise Agreement, Section 2.01; Area Development Agreement, Section 3.02).
We estimate the time from the date you sign the Area Development Agreement to the date you open your first Noodles & Company restaurant to be between six and twelve months.
Source: Item 9 — FRANCHISEE'S OBLIGATIONS (FDD pages 33–35)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Noodles & Company Franchise Disclosure Document, several sections within the Franchise Agreement and related documents outline the franchisee's obligations regarding site selection and acquisition/lease. Specifically, Item 11 references Section 3.01 of the Franchise Agreement and Section 3.02 of the Area Development Agreement, indicating these sections contain relevant information about site-related obligations. Item 11 also mentions Section 2.01 of the Franchise Agreement in relation to relocation restrictions.
Before acquiring a site, a Noodles & Company franchisee must submit a complete Site Package for approval, and the franchisor will provide training to assist in preparing this package for the first restaurant. Noodles & Company considers various factors when reviewing a potential site, such as location, demographics, traffic patterns, site economics, visibility, and the presence of other food establishments. The approval process may take up to 45 days after receipt of a complete Site Package, but this timeframe is subject to market conditions and due diligence requirements.
Noodles & Company's approval of a site does not constitute a warranty regarding its suitability, and the franchisee is solely responsible for the decision to enter into a lease or purchase agreement. Furthermore, a franchisee cannot relocate their Noodles & Company restaurant without prior written consent from Noodles & Company. The FDD also indicates that no lease for an approved site may be entered into without Noodles & Company's prior written consent, which Noodles & Company will not unreasonably withhold.