Noodles & Company, (NASDAQ: NDLS) the national fast-casual chain known for its globally inspired noodle bowls, best-in-class service, and values-centric culture welcomes two new franchise partners to its network—a result of its strategic plans to expand in the southern United States. Among this class of franchisees is business owner, Paven Sandhu, and her husband and business partner, Navi Sandhu, who signed an agreement to open four new restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. Meanwhile, in Texas, seasoned restauranteur Syed Ahmad signed an agreement to bring 20 Noodles & Company restaurants to the Dallas market. 

“We are thrilled to partner with the Sandhus and Syed Ahmad to establish a significant and strategic Noodles presence in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas,” said John Ramsay, vice president of franchise development at Noodles & Company. “This is a huge step for our franchise efforts at Noodles & Company and we’re confident our new partners and their management teams will successfully lead and grow the brand in these markets.”  

Dave Boennighausen, chief executive officer at Noodles & Company, added, “Noodles & Company has a strong presence in 30 states from coast to coast, but for some time we have targeted new unit development in the thriving Dallas market as well as rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas. We look forward to Noodles & Company entering these markets, along with welcoming Paven, Navi and Syed to the Noodles family. They are seasoned operators who share our team’s values and have a great track record of bringing restaurant brands to new regions.” 

Pavan and Navi Sandhu to bring Noodles & Company to Razorback Country

In Northwest Arkansas, the Sandhus are planning to open restaurants across the Rogers, Fayetteville, and Bentonville markets. These new locations will be the first Noodles & Company restaurants to operate in the state of Arkansas. The Sandhus are longtime residents of Rogers, Arkansas, and are no strangers to bringing Midwestern favorites and beloved franchise concepts to their home state. In 2022, the couple opened the first Culver’s location in Arkansas, and they are now excited to share the Uncommon Goodness of Noodles & Company with residents in Northwest Arkansas.  

Syed Ahmad introduces the Lone Star State to Noodles  

Syed Ahmad plans to open 20 Noodles restaurants across four Texas counties including Collin, Denton, Rockwell, and Dallas County. Ahmad has had a long, successful entrepreneurial track record, with more than four decades of experience working in the restaurant industry. Ahmad was one of the original Jack in the Box franchisees and over the span of his career, has owned and operated 90 Burger Kings, 64 Denny’s, and 11 Popeyes restaurants throughout the country. Ahmad is now focused on building his brands in Oregon and Texas and currently operates several successful Popeyes locations in these regions. Ahmad has lived in Dallas for 30 years and brings his knowledge as a respected member of the community to his new Noodles restaurants.  

Building on the momentum of its latest franchise agreements, the fast-casual Noodles brand continues to expand throughout the United States. Noodles & Company is focused on expanding its franchise footprint in south and southeast markets, with a focus on increasing its presence in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma.  

To learn more about Noodles & Company and its franchising opportunities, visit Noodles.com/Franchising. 

About Noodles & Company:

Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been serving guests Uncommon Goodness and noodles your way, with noodles and flavors you know and love as well as new ones you’re about to discover. From indulgent Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to better-for-you Zoodles and Other Noodles, the company serves a world of flavor in every bowl. Made up of more than 460 restaurants and thousands of passionate team members and named one of America’s Favorite Restaurants by Newsweek, and one of the Top 500 Franchises by Franchise Times, Noodles is well-known for its delicious noodles and industry-leading team member benefits. Noodles has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and one of America’s Best Employers for Women in 2021. Additionally, QSR recently named Noodles one of 2022’s Best Brands to Work For, and the Denver Business Journal has called Noodles one of 2023’s Best Places to Work for its unique culture focused on Uncommon Goodness and built on the value of “Loving Life,” which begins by nourishing and inspiring its communities and every team member and guest who walks through the door. The company has also earned the Women in the Lead Certification for its investment in women-empowering initiatives for its female team members and has proudly partnered with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to build cultural intelligence within its teams. To learn more and to find the location nearest you, visit www.noodles.com.