Noodles & Company

Workforce

Noodles & Co. to add instant payment to its employee benefits

The fast-casual chain will also give workers access to a suite of “financial wellness” tools.

Marketing

Buffalo Wild Wings adds sports betting

Under a deal with MGM Resorts, customers will vie initially for prizes instead of cash, and can only collect on-premise. The chain will also develop sports bars within MGM properties.

Buoyed by the success of zucchini noodles, the fast casual is adding more plant-based items and a new rewards program as it gets ready to expand.

As delivery sales surge, along with their fees, the company is testing new prices for such orders to improve margins.

Get Top 500 data: sales, units and YOY change, average unit volume, and company/franchise units, as well as Technomic’s analysis, growth forecast and more.

The chain, which reported 4% comps growth in Q4 but fell short of expectations, is increasingly shifting to an off-premise focus.

But the fast-casual chain continued to generate strong sales thanks to zucchini noodles and off-premise business.

Tim Doherty was named the president and COO in May of the restaurant company his father started and built into one of the industry’s largest franchise operations. Like a lot of second-generation leaders of a family business, he found the job has its own set of challenges and joys.

Melissa Heidman was promoted to general counsel of the fast-casual chain.

Also in this edition of RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive": upcoming menu trends.

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