QSR July 2022

DEPARTMENT FRANCHISE FORWARD

Change, One Straw at a Time Noodles & Company’s efforts to get greener are spreading throughout the system. BY BRYAN REESMAN

In the company’s report, it noted it had removed artificial colors and sweeteners from food. Moore says the company is dedicated to providing guests with high-quality, fresh, and delicious products, and the decision to remove artificial colors and sweeteners emerged a decade ago “to ensure our menu delivered guests the highest-quality food possible with only the best ingredients.” The drinking straw initiative was first con sidered by Noodles back in 2021. “We are constantly looking at all elements of our busi ness, and the conversation around compostable straws came up about a year ago,” Moore says. “Before implementing the new straw, we tested it to ensure it would uphold our high standards and we were pleased with the quality and our guests’ reactions.” Last fall, Noodles announced a partnership with Hoffmaster Group Inc., a 66-year-old com pany known for specialty disposable tabletop products in brands like Linen-Like, Fash nPoint, and CaterWrap. Its brand of Aardvark Straws are certified BPI-compostable, FDA approved, naturally degradable, and made in the U.S. Martin Stone’s original patent on

Noodles & Company is developing plans to reduce water and energy usage.

W ith climate concerns weighing more and more on consum ers’ minds today, Colorado-based Noodles & Company decided to generate its first impact report, which was released in October. As the company notes, the report outlined the initiatives taken “in the areas of food, people, planet, and commu nity” to improve the world and offer environmentally sustainable solutions to the fast casual’s business model. One way it will affect change is through disposable paper drink ing straws, and more green-conscious updates are also happening across Noodles’ more than 450 locations nationwide. “As a values-led company, we believe in transparency, and it is important to us to share our journey as well as our path forward,” says Danielle Moore, director of communications. “Our first report served as a baseline to show what we’ve accomplished over the past 25-plus years and where opportunities lie moving forward. As a female, I was especially proud to see that females comprise 56 percent of our operations team and 50 percent of our executive team, and I am continually proud of Noodles’ dedication to inclu sion and diversity.”

paper straws dates back to 1888, and the straws were re-intro duced into the marketplace back in 2007 when Aardvark saw a growing need because of the anti-plastic movement that included restaurants, hospitals, and other service industries. Indiana-based Precision Products Group Inc. was asked by Aardvark to create a straw that was more environmentally friendly. Hoffmaster pur chased Aardvark in 2018. “[Hoffmaster] is a leader in developing environmentally friendly products, and we were very impressed with the quality of their straws and the other products they offer,” Moore says. As reported this past January, this change will remove nearly 21,000 pounds of plastic from the company’s waste stream annually. Last year also found Noodles developing a fresh plan to reduce water and energy usage. The company began installing a new dripper system chain-wide that Moore says reduces water usage by more than 30 percent. The dipper wells Noodles recently installed have restricted waterflows, which will improve the amount of water usage into each location using them. The company is also exploring new high-efficiency faucets it hopes to bring to CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

NOODLES & COMPANY

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JULY 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com