Noodles & Company.
NDLS.US | Restaurants and mobile food service activities
Noodles & Company is a fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in noodle-based dishes from around the world. The company operates and franchises restaurants offering a variety of pasta dishes, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Their menu includes both classic noodle dishes and globally-inspired f...Show More
Better Health for All
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No relevant data was found in the provided articles to assess Noodles & Company against the 'Better Health for All' ethical value. The articles focused on general industry information, product reviews, and investor relations, without providing specific metrics or details related to health impacts, product safety, accessibility, or any other criteria outlined in the rubric.
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Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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No evidence available to assess Noodles & Company on Fair Money & Economic Opportunity.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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In 2024, the CEO's total compensation was 163 times the median employee compensation.
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Employee reviews indicate an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, with 58% of employees recommending working at the company.
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Specific ratings include 3.3 for work-life balance, 2.9 for pay and benefits, 3.1 for job security and advancement, 3.1 for management, and 3.4 for culture.
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There have been no substantiated labor law or human rights violations reported in the provided articles.
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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Supplier third-party audits are conducted annually.
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Farm audits for broiler chicken are conducted every 15 months.
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The company's 10-K filing reports no incidents of forced or child labor.
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Honest & Fair Business
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No evidence available to assess Noodles & Company on Honest & Fair Business.
Kind to Animals
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Noodles & Company sources 100% cage-free eggs and 100% gestation crate-free pork.
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Dairy cows comply with the National Milk Producers Federation FARM program, which includes no tail docking and pain management during disbudding, and are never given artificial growth stimulants or hormones.
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The company committed to bringing its chicken supply to Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) Step 2 requirements by 2024, which includes reducing stocking density, improving environments, and using more humane slaughter practices.
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However, in 2023, Mercy For Animals identified Noodles & Company as a poor performer in its 'Count Your Chickens Report' and launched a public awareness campaign urging the company to publish progress on its chicken welfare promise.
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While the company states it demonstrates compliance with broiler chicken welfare standards through a vigorous third-party audit system, no specific percentage of suppliers audited for welfare is provided.
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No War, No Weapons
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No evidence available to assess Noodles & Company on No War, No Weapons.
Planet-Friendly Business
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The company's to-go bags are made with 40% recycled materials.
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Additionally, Noodles & Company has phased in paper straws at all locations, estimated to remove 20,547 pounds of plastic annually, and optimized to-go packaging design, which removed over 316,000 pounds of plastic from landfills annually.
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Over 20% of locations use 100% LED lighting, and all new restaurants and remodels since 2019 include Energy Star appliances.
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Tests on dipper wells showed an average 31% decrease in water usage, with implementation planned for all locations by the end of 2021.
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The company recycles 75% of its back-of-house recyclable material.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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Noodles & Company offers free English and Spanish courses for its team members, demonstrating strong local language support.
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The company has implemented mandatory unconscious bias education and training companywide, but the percentage of employees completing this training is not specified.
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The company partners with Ready Foods, a Mexican-American owned company, indicating engagement with at least one minority-owned supplier.
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Noodles & Company hosted over 2,000 fundraisers in the past two years, giving back more than $400,000 to local communities, and 25% of qualifying sales from fundraiser nights go back to non-profit organizations.
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The company raised $20,000 to support Out & Equal and $50,000 for the Colorado Healing Fund, which represents a small percentage of revenue donated to cultural heritage or community funds.
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The company conducts regular listening forums and pulse surveys, and has an Audit Committee Procedures for Handling Reports of Potential Misconduct, but these are not community-specific grievance mechanisms.
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The company has acknowledged experiences of unconscious biases or microaggressions, indicating cultural incidents, and its response involves hearing vulnerable stories to understand what can be done differently.
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No cultural appropriation incidents have been reported, nor does the company operate in areas requiring FPIC processes or specific cultural impact assessments.
Safe & Smart Tech
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Noodles & Company experienced a data breach between January 31, 2016, and June 2, 2016, affecting over 400 locations across 27 states and Washington, D.C.
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The breach involved malware and compromised debit/credit card data, including cardholder name, card number, expiration date, and CVV.
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The number of impacted customers is unknown.
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The company's privacy notices for California and Colorado residents, updated August 1, 2023, explicitly state compliance with the CCPA, CPRA, and CPA.
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These notices outline user rights to opt-out of data sharing, targeted advertising, data sale, and profiling, and allow users to access, correct, delete, and request a portable copy of their data.
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Data retention policies are described as retaining data only as long as necessary for its intended use.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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Noodles & Company recycles 75% of its back-of-house recyclables.
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To-go bags are made with 40% recycled materials.
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The company has implemented several waste reduction initiatives, including eliminating over 1 million pounds of plastic resin since April 2020 and optimizing to-go packaging to remove over 316,000 pounds of plastic from landfills annually.
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They also transitioned to paper straws by March 2022, removing approximately 21,000 pounds of plastic from the waste stream annually.
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Other initiatives include reducing food waste through predictive analytics, testing high-efficiency faucets, and using Energy Star equipment.
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