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Noodles & Company Introduces New Brand Positioning: Uncommon Goodness

NDLS | May 4, 2022

Guests will discover Uncommon Goodness from the inside out with new culinary innovation, extraordinary team member benefits, rewards offers, and much more

BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Noodles & Company, (NASDAQ: NDLS) the national fast-casual chain known for its globally inspired noodle bowls, best-in-class service, and values-centric culture, announced today the launch of its new brand positioning, Uncommon Goodness.

Through Uncommon Goodness, Noodles is bringing its purpose to life by elevating the uncommon goodness that has been core to its brand for more than 25 years. From how the company treats its team members and creates a unique guest experience, to how it carefully selects ingredients and positively impacts the communities it serves, Noodles infuses Uncommon Goodness into everything it does.

"Anyone who has ever dined at Noodles knows there is something special about this place — it's an experience unlike any other in the industry. We're bringing that feeling to life in a new way with Uncommon Goodness — a positioning that encompasses everything we stand for as a company," said Stacey Pool, chief marketing officer at Noodles & Company. "As we introduce Uncommon Goodness, our mission and values remain the same: to nourish and inspire every team member, guest, and community we serve. The positioning puts into words what has always been innate to our brand while strengthening the emotional connection that our team members, guests, and communities already have with us."

Over the next several weeks, Noodles & Company will bring Uncommon Goodness to life through a new exclusive offering for Noodles Rewards members, new team member benefits, and a new campaign that embodies Uncommon Goodness through Noodles' Biggest Fan.

Noodles offers LEANguini exclusively to Noodles Rewards Members
Keeping its menu fresh and innovative is at the heart of Noodles & Company. To offer more health-inspired variety, Noodles & Company has today launched its proprietary new noodle, LEANguini, at locations nationwide. LEANguini has 56 percent fewer net carbs and 44 percent more protein than traditional wheat pasta. Better yet, LEANguini looks and tastes like traditional pasta, offering the same satisfying flavor and texture.

"LEANguini is a first-of-its-kind noodle that defies pasta logic. Our culinary team has spent the last two years developing a noodle that is lower carb and higher protein than traditional wheat pasta while still adhering to our strict clean ingredient standards, showing just how far we will go to bring our guests an uncommonly good food experience," said Pool. "Our Noodles Rewards members have inspired this dish through their loyalty and enthusiasm for our better-for-you offerings, and we're giving them the first bite of this dish as an uncommonly good way to thank them."

LEANguini is exclusively available to Noodles Rewards members starting today through May 18, 2022, when it will become available to all guests. Guests can try LEANguini as a featured dish in Noodles' new LEANguini Lemon Parmesan or customize their favorite dish with LEANguini. To get the first taste of LEANguini and to be the first to know about other uncommonly good rewards and offers, sign up for Noodles Rewards by downloading the Noodles Rewards app or signing up online at noodles.com/rewards.

Uncommonly Good New Team Member Benefits
Noodles understands that to deliver on the promise of Uncommon Goodness, it must start from the inside out. Already recognized as an industry leader when it comes to team member benefits, Noodles is proud to introduce new team member programs and benefits that underscore its commitment to enhancing its inclusive and diverse culture. This new lineup of team member benefits highlights how Uncommon Goodness permeates every aspect of the company with new benefits including:

Immigration reimbursement: To assist team members in renewing, obtaining, or supporting work authorization, citizenship, or immigration status, Noodles & Company will reimburse team members up to $500 every two years to aid them with fees associated with their immigration or work status journey.
General Manager Equity Partner Program: Noodles general managers now have the opportunity to enter a General Manager Equity Partner Program. Based on meeting specific short and long-term performance objectives, those who qualify will receive $50k of restricted stock units upon three years from entry into the program.
Noodles Balance Bucks: Noodles incentivizes assistant general managers and above to invest in their mental, financial, and physical health through Balance Bucks, an annual reimbursement for qualifying expenses (up to $625). Team members can receive reimbursement for expenses that directly tie to their mental, financial, and physical wellbeing. Examples of covered expenses include gym membership, pet adoption, cleaning services, and more.
2022 quarterly mental health series: Noodles will host quarterly live virtual and in-person mental health workshops focused on equipping leaders with the tools they need to take care of themselves and their teams.
Noodles Resource Groups (NRGs): Noodles is proud to introduce its version of Employee Resource Groups or Affinity Groups, called Noodles Resource Groups (NRGs), with two new NRGs: PROUD and THRIVE. PROUD is focused on the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, and THRIVE is centered on providing a platform for BIPOC team members and allies.
Uncommon Goodness Ambassadors: Noodles is hiring a team of Uncommon Goodness Ambassadors who are tasked with doing uncommonly good things for Noodles guests in-restaurant, digitally on social media, and through in-person activations within their communities.

Introducing Noodles' Biggest Fan
"Now more than ever people are looking for goodness, and we are proud to infuse that feeling into everything we do. Whether it is a warm conversation with a team member, a comforting bite of Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, or the simple pleasure of dinner delivered right to your door, we cannot wait to continue sharing Uncommon Goodness with you," said Pool. "You're going to see this come to life through our new campaign that introduces Noodles' Biggest Fan, an uncommonly delightful and quirky guest who embodies why our brand is so unique and unexpected. And this is just the beginning—you will see Uncommon Goodness guide the way we behave as a company as we infuse even more Uncommon Goodness into everything we do."

To learn more, visit Noodles.com

About Noodles & Company
Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been serving noodles your way, with noodles and flavors that 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 450 restaurants and thousands of passionate team members, Noodles was recently named one of America's Best Employers for Diversity 2021 by Forbes and has been named one of the Best Places to Work by the Denver Business Journal for its unique culture built on the value of "Loving Life," which begins by nourishing and inspiring every team member and guest who walks through the door. Noodles has also earned the Women in the Lead Certification for its investment in women-empowering initiatives for its female team members and proudly partners with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to build cultural intelligence within its teams. To learn more and find the location nearest you, visit www.noodles.com

Media Contact: Danielle Moore, Press@Noodles.com