Noodles & Company, the restaurant brand that features a collection of dishes from around the world, announced today the opening of its 300th system-wide restaurant. The 300th restaurant is located in Waterloo, Iowa, on Crossroads Boulevard.
To commemorate the landmark event, Noodles & Company invited hundreds of loyal fans to form a huge “300” on the ground and an aerial photo was taken from a helicopter. The photo was staged at Valley Lutheran School, and for every participant present, $1 was donated to the school.
“We’re thrilled about this achievement and the opening of our 300th restaurant,” says Kevin Reddy, CEO and chairman of Noodles & Company. “It’s an exciting time at Noodles, and we’re so happy to have celebrated with new and loyal fans from Waterloo and around the state. We look forward to our continued growth and introducing Noodles to more neighborhoods in Iowa and across the U.S.”
Noodles’ 300th opening marks the seventh restaurant to open in Iowa and the 15th restaurant to open in 2012, with more than 25 additional restaurants planned to open by the end of the year.
Iowa has been a focus for Noodles for several years due to the brand’s strong presence in surrounding markets and the vibrancy of the state’s economy. Noodles plans to open a second Des Moines location later this fall and currently employs nearly 150 people in the state.
As one of the industry’s fastest growing and most successful restaurant concepts, Noodles has tripled in size in the last seven years. With positive same-store sales in 25 of the last 26 quarters, the expansion in Iowa is evidence of the brand’s success.
