Noodles & Company is slated to shutter approximately 32 restaurants across the country
A popular noodle chain is closing locations
Noodles & Company is slated to close the doors of up to 32 restaurants across the country by the end of this year.
The Colorado-based chain said in its 2025 second-quarter financial results that it will close between 28 and 32 restaurants and open two new sites by the end of this year. The chain has around 400 restaurants across the country, and these closures would represent a 7 percent decrease in the company’s footprint.
It’s not the first chain to shut its doors, as various other American restaurant chains in U.S. have closed locations recently. Italian chain Bravo Brio Restaurants LLC recently filed for bankruptcy, and TGI Fridays shut down several of their branches or filed for bankruptcy in the last year.
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Noodles & Company said on Wednesday that there was a surge in restaurant sales by 1.5 percent overall in the second quarter, which includes a 1.5 percent increase at company-owned restaurants and a 1.6 percent increase at franchised sites.
The company also experienced net losses of approximately $17.6 million, compared to a loss of $13.6 million in the second quarter of last year.
Why is Noodles & Company closing stores?
“We remain committed to delivering an incredible experience every time they visit or order from Noodles. Earlier this year, we introduced a new and improved menu that elevated both taste and quality while expanding guest favorites such as our Mac & Cheese options,” a spokesperson for the chain told Newsweek.
“To add even more value, we recently launched Delicious Duos, a perfectly sized combo that pairs a small entrée with a protein and side, starting at $9.95. This option combines a smaller noodles portion with a fresh, lighter side, and results from our initial launch have been strong,” the spokesperson added.
Drew Madsen, Noodles & Company chief executive officer said in a statement, “We are encouraged to have delivered positive comparable restaurant sales of 1.5 percent in the second quarter despite a challenging consumer environment that has led to heightened discounting and promotional activity across the industry.”
“Our sales and traffic moderated after the initial successful rollout of our new menu due to the strong value-conscious climate as well as slower guest adoption of the upgrades made to some of our historic menu items,” he added.
The chain has around 400 restaurants across the countryMore Noodles & Comapny closures
Drew Madsen is stepping down as the company’s CEO and Joe Christina will be filling in his shoes to oversee the ongoing restaurant closures and openings this year. A spokesperson told Newsweek that after the closures in 2025, another 12 to 17 locations could close next year.
What customers are saying
Customers took to Reddit to react to the menu changes. “Man, Noodles & Company keeps breaking my heart with these menu changes. I grew up on their Thai Curry Soup—it was a childhood classic for me, and when they took it away, it already felt like losing a piece of nostalgia,” a user wrote.
Another chimed in: “After hearing about this new menu revamp for so long, I’m pretty underwhelmed. Changing to different tomatoes and pasta on a couple dishes and adding pulled pork or bacon to a couple others is hardly revolutionary.”
Another person said, “I looked over a bunch of articles but they only repeat the press release and talk about the new dishes. I want to know what’s been taken away.”
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Dining and Cooking