Noodles And
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Noodles And franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Noodles & Company serves made-to-order noodle and pasta dishes, salads, soups, sandwiches, and other meals inspired by cuisines from around the world. Restaurants operate in a fast-casual format with in-store dining and options for pickup and delivery.
Headline figures
Noodles And quick facts
- Is Noodles And a franchise?
- Yes. Noodles And offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 83 franchised and 340 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 90).
- How much does it cost to open a Noodles And franchise?
- The Noodles And Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $35,000 for 35,000 cash see item 5 franchise agreement noodles & company total fee to franchisor — 35000 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 24); $1,061,500 for total fee to franchisor $35,000 $35,000 total estimated initial investment (13)(14) — 1061500 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 24). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What is the Noodles And initial franchise fee?
- The disclosed initial franchise fee for a standard single unit is $35,000 (2026 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 18). Other fee options (for example multi-unit or conversion) are listed separately in the report. Details
- What ongoing fees does Noodles And charge?
- The disclosed ongoing royalty is 1% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 20). The brand or advertising fund contribution is 1% · “FMF”) Currently — 1% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 19). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
- Does Noodles And disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The Noodles And FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 85). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many Noodles And locations are there?
- The FDD reports 423 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 90). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is Noodles And a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: Item 19 includes financial performance figures; check which locations and period they cover; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2026 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $35,000 (35,000 Cash See Item 5 Franchise Agreement Noodles & Company Total Fee to Franchisor — 35000); $1,061,500 (Total Fee to Franchisor $35,000 $35,000 Total Estimated Initial Investment (13)(14) — 1061500); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 3 separate groups: revenue and other measures for 92 Franchise locations; costs and other measures and EBITDA and profit and revenue for 371 Company locations; other measures and revenue for 371 Company locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets declined by 40 in 2025, to 423 (UnitedStates, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Noodles And head-to-head
Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 2 single-unit formats
2026 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (2)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- 35,000 Cash See Item 5 Franchise Agreement Noodles & Company Total Fee to Franchisor — 35000PDF p. 24$35,000
- Total Fee to Franchisor $35,000 $35,000 Total Estimated Initial Investment (13)(14) — 1061500PDF p. 24$1,061,500
Standard single-unit franchise fee
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18
Discounted and multi-unit options are separate; see all fees.
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
- quired information or if we find an understatement of Net Royalty Sales greater than — 1%Main ongoing fee
21 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
3 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
92 locations
Revenue and other measures · 92 locations
- Who is counted
- Franchise
- Excluded
- Sourceexcludesopened2025;reports371company/92franchise463despite340/83yearend;33company9franchiseclosures;nontraditionalnotrelevant
- Method
- Unauditednet sales less taxes,couponsdiscountsrefundsemployeeadjustments;adjustedtemporaryclosures;notNetRoyaltySales;notprofit;sourcepopulationinconsistencyretained
These groups are never combined.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
UnitedStates, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 90
Net −47 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($35,000 – $1,061,500) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units decreased from 463 to 423 in 2025. What drove the change?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Standard initial franchise fee — Item 5 · PDF p. 18
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchise · PDF p. 85; PDF p. 86
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — CompanyrestaurantP&L · PDF p. 87
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company · PDF p. 86; PDF p. 85
- [5]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 90
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page.
Territory & operations
86 addresses in Franopolis's imported location list. Coverage may differ from Item 20 outlet counts.
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | operating lease assets and liabilities | -$4,111 |
| 2025 | long-term operating lease liabilities, net | $126,924 |
| 2025 | total liabilities | $306,976 |
| 2025 | income tax receivable | $312 |
| 2025 | operating lease assets, net | $126,319 |
| 2025 | pre-opening | $225 |
| 2025 | goodwill | $7,154 |
| 2025 | total current liabilities | $61,845 |
| 2025 | additional paid-in capital | $216,658 |
| 2025 | loss from operations | -$31,589 |
| 2025 | loss per class a and class b common stock, combinedMore than one value recorded for this year — open the FDD source before comparing | -$7 |
| 2025 | long-term debt, net | $108,776 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
Loading…
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format, overlapping investment range, Item 20 outlet count and search interest. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Head-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.