Popular Pasta Chain Closing Up to 35 Locations After Shutting 42 Last Year

Noodles & Company, the popular fast-casual pasta chain, announced it plans to close between 30 and 35 additional locations in 2026, following the closure of 42 underperforming restaurants last year. The company currently operates around 450 locations across the country, meaning the combined closures represent a significant reduction in its footprint over a two-year period.

What makes the story unusual is that the closures aren't being driven by weak sales. Noodles & Company reported same-store sales growth of roughly 7% in its most recent quarter — a number most struggling chains would envy. Instead, the company is cutting locations that simply can't turn a profit regardless of sales volume, whether due to unfavorable lease terms, high operating costs, or underperforming markets.

Noodles & Company is Shrinking Its Footprint

The strategy mirrors what several other casual dining chains have done in recent years — shrink the physical footprint, strengthen the remaining locations, and use the freed-up resources to invest in the restaurants most likely to thrive long term. Noodles & Company has also been investing heavily in digital ordering and loyalty programs as it attempts to modernize its business model.

Founded in 1995 in Boulder, Colorado, Noodles & Company built its following on a menu that goes well beyond pasta — offering dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world, from Japanese pan noodles to Wisconsin mac and cheese. At its peak the chain operated over 500 locations nationwide.

The company has not yet released a specific list of which locations will close in 2026.