Noodles & Co.’s Q2 Earnings Highest in 6 Years Thanks to This New Menu Item

Noodles & Co. made the move to include a healthier menu option in May when it introduced Zoodles, zucchini spirals resembling noodles that serve as an alternative to pasta. An article in National Restaurant News detailed how the low-carb option was added to the menu as its own dish but proved to be a popular substitute in many of the brand’s signature menu items as well. The offering was the catalyst for a 5.4 percent increase in same-store sales and a 3.1 percent increase in traffic, the company’s best quarterly performance in 6 years.

Executive chairman Paul Murphy said Zoodles are widening the chain’s customer base from its overall pasta-only connotation, creating the opportunity for people “to really kind of re-ID the company and what Noodle stands for.” Noodles & Co. leadership said it is developing a plan to provide more health-conscious options on its menu.