The Pasta Chain That's Closing Dozens Of Locations In The US

Bankruptcies and closures seem to be plaguing the world of franchise eateries, with major chains like Red Lobster and TGI Fridays shuttering large numbers of restaurants. A popular pasta chain now has some of its restaurants on the chopping block, too.

Fast-casual brand Noodles & Company announced on May 7, 2025 that as many as 17 restaurants owned by the company, as well as four sites owned by franchisees, are slated for closure. Sadly for fans of the chain, outstanding debts and a lack of profits have caused the company to revisit which of the nearly 469 total locations across 31 states will remain open. The projected number of closures has climbed from the company's earlier forecasts, which initially listed only 12 to 15 planned closures. The decision-making process is ongoing regarding which locations will get the axe (per USA Today), so the number could further increase as the year progresses. 

Noodles & Company, which has been in operation for 30 years, is sadly not immune to the ongoing struggles that many casual dining establishments are navigating through. Luckily for frequent patrons, the news of closures and potential restructuring does not necessarily mean the end of the line for this pasta chain. 

As has been the case with so many restaurant brands, financial struggles have paved the way to the planned closures for Noodles & Company. Falling sales and revenue drops post-COVID ultimately resulted in restructured leadership, menu revamps, and other changes in effort to stabilize the struggling chain. Noodles & Company also faced possible delisting of its stock from the Nasdaq in early 2025 due to being consistently below the minimum bid price of $1 per share.

The endeavors of a new CEO, brought onboard in 2024, seem to be slowly having effect for the brand, though. Noodles & Company experienced a 2% revenue increase for the first quarter of 2025, and, despite the impending restaurant closures, one new company-owned location opened in Q1, with two more also planned to open this year.

The company introduced an overhauled menu on March 12, which included new mac & cheese dishes, a Green Goddess Cobb Salad, and Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine. Noodles & Company has also implemented improvements to two-thirds of its existing menu, including new sourcing for some of the ingredients, using larger noodles in certain dishes, and doling out more sauce in others. The rollout of the refreshed menu was rewarded with a 5% increase in sales through the following month, per a May 7 press release announcing the company's Q1 2025 financial results. Noodles & Company has also upped its marketing efforts, as well as implementing a fresh brand strategy, in its endeavors to turn the struggling brand around.