Noodles & Company has lost another top executive.
After leading a menu overhaul at Noodles, chief concept officer Scott Davis has moved on to Tatte Bakery & Café as senior vice president of menu innovation, he said in a LinkedIn post this week.
For Davis, who spent 28 years with Panera Bread earlier in his career, it’s sort of like bringing the band back together again.
Tatte is owned by Panera founder and former CEO Ron Shaich’s Act III Holdings. With nearly 50 units in five states and the District of Columbia, the growing Tatte is a more-elevated bakery-café concept with a Mediterranean-inflected menu of breakfast, lunch and brunch, as well as pastries, cakes and pies and a coffee bar.
It was founded by Israeli-born pastry chef Tzurit Or in Boston, and is now part of the Act III portfolio, which also includes the healthful chain Life Alive, the social entertainment concept Level99 and a significant stake in the publicly traded fast-casual chain Cava.
Davis spent a little more than a year at Noodles as that fast-casual chain reworked its menu in an ongoing effort to revitalize the brand.
Scott Davis | Photo courtesy of Noodles & Company
Earlier this year, Noodles unveiled nine new dishes and upgrades, including three flavored mac and cheese options.
This month, however, Noodles said its board has initiated a strategic review that could include a sale. The chain said it plans to shutter as many as 49 underperforming restaurants by the end of next year.
Noodles’ former CEO Drew Madsen, architect of the attempted turnaround, said in August he would step down for health reasons. Former COO Joe Christina has taken the helm as CEO and president.
Noodles officials did not immediately respond to questions about Davis’ replacement there.
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