Noodles & Company announced that the Board has appointed Drew Madsen to serve as permanent Chief Executive Officer effective March 6. Madsen will continue to be a member of the Board of Directors.
“On behalf of the entire board, we are thrilled Drew will be leading Noodles as CEO. As interim CEO, Drew quickly assessed our most important opportunities and has aligned the organization around five strategic priorities that are focused on driving traffic growth. As permanent CEO, he provides the business continuity necessary to execute on these priorities through 2024 and beyond,” says Jeff Jones, Noodles & Company Board Chairman. “Drew is already driving a culture of rigor, accountability, and operational excellence. Because of this leadership style, coupled with his extensive restaurant industry experience and operational expertise, the Board is confident in Drew’s ability to drive sustainable growth and create long-term shareholder value.”
Madsen brings a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry to the role of CEO. In his recent operating roles, Madsen was President and Chief Operating Officer at some of the most successful and well-respected businesses in the restaurant industry. Most recently, Madsen was president of Panera Bread leading the company to industry leadership in clean food, digital sales, and home delivery, combined with significantly improved operations execution and aggressive cost reduction. Mr. Madsen’s professional experience prior to Panera includes fifteen years at Darden where Mr. Madsen served as President and Chief Operating Officer for nearly ten years.
“I believe Noodles is a differentiated brand with a strong value proposition, and I am excited to lead the team as we deliver exceptional experiences for all current and future Noodles customers,” says Madsen. “In 2024, we are focused on driving traffic growth, and we will do so by creating a culture of operational excellence, ensuring brand relevance through new and enhanced menu offerings, better utilizing our digital strengths, developing a long-term strategy for growing our catering business, and fortifying our financial position. With this focus, I believe that Noodles is well positioned to win. I look forward to working with the management team and our 7,000+ passionate team members to realize the brand’s full potential.”
