Cooking Up a Comeback
The Culinary Edge Helped a Beloved Brand Rediscover What Made It Special — and Sustain Its Momentum
How We Did It
Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been a fast-casual pioneer offering globally inspired noodle dishes. With 450+ locations, the brand grew a loyal fan base thanks to its uniquely fresh take on affordable dining. Fully optimized for simple operations, margins grew at a healthy pace for decades.
Enter a global pandemic — and the price increases that came with it. By 2022, value perception became a serious challenge, leading to a 4.2% drop in same-store sales.
Knowing a simple price decrease wasn’t the answer, Noodles & Company partnered with The Culinary Edge (TCE), a division of CORE Foodservice, known for its expertise in restaurant creation, menu development, and operational design.
The big discovery? The brand didn’t need to lower prices — it needed to restore its original value proposition. Shrinking sauce portions, fewer fresh garnishes, and low-cost packaging had quietly eroded the guest experience.
So, we rebuilt the culinary pillars that first set Noodles & Company apart:
- A focused menu – Simplified and easy to navigate.
- Comfort, perfected – Reformulated classics like Basil Pesto Cavatappi, Mac & Cheese, and Crispy Chicken Bacon Alfredo to maximize quality and satisfaction.
- Elevated experiences – Upgraded presentation, packaging, and ingredients to make the meal feel worth the price.
Within weeks, guests noticed. Taste scores rose up to 15 points, digital orders increased 5.6%, and sales rebounded 3% year-over-year.
That turnaround set the stage for the next phase: more menu innovation, fresh value platforms, and continued operational improvements.
The Results
Building on that foundation, Noodles & Company introduced Delicious Duos, which pair a small entrée with a side starting at $9.99 to deliver everyday value without discounting quality.
Flavor stayed front and center, with new global dishes that attracted younger guests and first-time visitors. Operational improvements, including dedicated coaching on speed, accuracy, and hospitality ensured a consistently elevated experience.
The payoff: same-store sales climbed 8%, digital sales grew 12%, and average unit volumes increased 5.4% as guests responded to quality, clearer value, and renewed excitement around the brand.
The collaboration between Noodles & Company and TCE wasn’t about starting over. It was about building on a strong foundation and proving that when food, value, and experience align, growth follows.
“TCE helped us rethink how we wanted to position our menu in a way that is clear for guests to understand and more compelling in terms of what they’re looking for.”
