FY26 Restaurant Sales Growth Expected at 6% to 9%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy NDLS?
Sees FY26: Comparable restaurant sales growth of 6.0% to 9.0%, restaurant level contribution margins of 14.7% to 16.0%.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy NDLS?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on NDLS
About NDLS
Noodles & Company offers lunch and dinner within the fast-casual segment of the restaurant industry. The Company’s core offerings include noodle and pasta dishes, staples of various different cuisines. Its menu includes a variety of cooked-to-order dishes, including noodles and pasta, salads, soups and appetizers. It offers approximately 20 customizable dishes at its restaurants, taken to-go, or delivered to its customers. It operates approximately 460 restaurants in 31 states, which includes 369 company locations and 91 franchise locations. Its restaurants are typically between 2,000 and 2,600 square feet and are located in end-cap, in-line or free-standing locations across a variety of suburban, collegiate and urban markets. It is researching a smaller square footage restaurant prototype design. The Company's restaurants are located in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Missouri, Minnesota and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Noodles & Company Shares Surge 55% After Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates
- Strong Earnings Report: Noodles & Company shares surged 55% in early trading on Thursday after its Q4 earnings report exceeded expectations, with revenue rising only 0.8% but comparable sales increasing 6.6% system-wide, indicating robust market demand.
- Improved Contribution Margin: The restaurant contribution margin increased from 11.2% to 14.1% in the quarter, driven by a combination of menu price increases, vendor rebates, and reduced discounting, although higher food costs from new menu offerings and modest inflation posed some challenges.
- Sustained Growth Momentum: Management noted that Noodles & Company has established significant and sustained momentum, with system-wide comparable sales growth exceeding 9% in the current quarter and traffic growth over 4%, reflecting ongoing consumer preference for the brand.
- Historical Performance: CEO Joseph Christina highlighted that the second quarter of 2026 delivered one of the strongest comparable sales performances in the company's 31-year history, marking the seventh consecutive period of traffic growth and further solidifying the company's market position.
See More
Noodles & Co Reports Strong Q4 2025 Earnings with 88% EBITDA Growth
- Significant Sales Growth: Noodles & Co achieved a system-wide comparable sales growth of 6.6% in Q4 2025, with expectations to rise to approximately 9% in Q1 2026, indicating strong momentum in a competitive market.
- Improved Financial Performance: Adjusted EBITDA surged over 88% year-over-year to $7.6 million in Q4 2025, reflecting notable enhancements in operational efficiency and profitability, despite reporting a net loss of $6.8 million.
- Strategic Optimization Measures: The company closed nine company-owned and three franchised restaurants in Q4 2025 as part of a portfolio optimization strategy, which has facilitated the transfer of sales to better-performing nearby locations, thereby boosting overall average unit volumes.
- Positive Future Outlook: Noodles & Co projects total revenue for 2026 to be between $478 million and $493 million, with restaurant contribution margins expected to range from 14.7% to 16%, demonstrating confidence in future growth and clarity in strategic planning.
See More
Noodles & Company Reports Strong Q4 2025 Earnings and Positive Outlook
- Significant Sales Growth: In Q4 2025, Noodles & Company reported nearly 7% system-wide same-store sales growth, with projections indicating an increase to over 9% in Q1 2026, reflecting strong market performance and sustained customer demand.
- Menu Innovation Drive: The company launched its most comprehensive new menu and limited-time offers, including Chili Garlic Ramen and Steak Stroganoff, successfully attracting new customer segments and enhancing brand engagement and customer loyalty.
- Operational Optimization Results: By closing underperforming restaurants, sales were transferred to nearby locations, resulting in a significant increase in average sales volume at those restaurants, with restaurant contribution margin reaching 14.1% in Q4 2025, up 290 basis points year-over-year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the optimization strategy.
- Optimistic Financial Outlook: The company forecasts total revenue between $478 million and $493 million for 2026, with adjusted EBITDA projected at $30 million to $35 million, and expects to achieve positive free cash flow, further strengthening financial stability and debt management capabilities.
See More
Noodles & Company Q4 Earnings Exceed Expectations
- Strong Earnings Report: Noodles & Company reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of -$0.43, beating expectations by $0.29, indicating an improvement in profitability despite still being negative.
- Revenue Growth: Q4 revenue reached $122.8 million, a 0.8% year-over-year increase, surpassing market expectations by $400,000, demonstrating the company's resilience in a competitive market.
- Comparable Sales Growth: Comparable restaurant sales grew approximately 9.0%, reflecting successful strategies in customer attraction and retention, which are expected to drive future revenue growth.
- 2026 Outlook: The company anticipates full-year revenue between $478 million and $493 million, with restaurant contribution margins of 14.7% to 16.0%, indicating a positive outlook on cost control and profitability.
See More
NOODLES & COMPANY RELEASES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025
Fourth Quarter Financial Results: Noodles & Company has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting key performance metrics and growth indicators.
Full Year Financial Performance: The company also provided a comprehensive overview of its financial performance for the entire year of 2025, showcasing overall revenue and profitability trends.
See More
Noodles & Company to Announce Q4 Earnings on March 25
- Earnings Announcement: Noodles & Company is set to release its Q4 earnings on March 25, with a consensus EPS estimate of -$0.72, reflecting a significant year-over-year decline of 380%, indicating substantial profitability challenges for the company.
- Revenue Expectations: The anticipated revenue for Q4 is $122.4 million, representing a modest year-over-year increase of 0.5%, which, while slight, suggests the company is striving to maintain revenue levels in a highly competitive market.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Noodles & Company has only beaten EPS estimates 38% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time, highlighting ongoing challenges in profitability and revenue growth.
- Investor Activity: Activist investor Galloway has increased his stake in Noodles & Company, indicating market interest in the company's future potential, which may prompt strategic adjustments despite the current financial underperformance.
See More
Noodles & Company Shares Surge 55% After Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates
- Strong Earnings Report: Noodles & Company shares surged 55% in early trading on Thursday after its Q4 earnings report exceeded expectations, with revenue rising only 0.8% but comparable sales increasing 6.6% system-wide, indicating robust market demand.
- Improved Contribution Margin: The restaurant contribution margin increased from 11.2% to 14.1% in the quarter, driven by a combination of menu price increases, vendor rebates, and reduced discounting, although higher food costs from new menu offerings and modest inflation posed some challenges.
- Sustained Growth Momentum: Management noted that Noodles & Company has established significant and sustained momentum, with system-wide comparable sales growth exceeding 9% in the current quarter and traffic growth over 4%, reflecting ongoing consumer preference for the brand.
- Historical Performance: CEO Joseph Christina highlighted that the second quarter of 2026 delivered one of the strongest comparable sales performances in the company's 31-year history, marking the seventh consecutive period of traffic growth and further solidifying the company's market position.
See More
Noodles & Co Reports Strong Q4 2025 Earnings with 88% EBITDA Growth
- Significant Sales Growth: Noodles & Co achieved a system-wide comparable sales growth of 6.6% in Q4 2025, with expectations to rise to approximately 9% in Q1 2026, indicating strong momentum in a competitive market.
- Improved Financial Performance: Adjusted EBITDA surged over 88% year-over-year to $7.6 million in Q4 2025, reflecting notable enhancements in operational efficiency and profitability, despite reporting a net loss of $6.8 million.
- Strategic Optimization Measures: The company closed nine company-owned and three franchised restaurants in Q4 2025 as part of a portfolio optimization strategy, which has facilitated the transfer of sales to better-performing nearby locations, thereby boosting overall average unit volumes.
- Positive Future Outlook: Noodles & Co projects total revenue for 2026 to be between $478 million and $493 million, with restaurant contribution margins expected to range from 14.7% to 16%, demonstrating confidence in future growth and clarity in strategic planning.
See More
Noodles & Company Reports Strong Q4 2025 Earnings and Positive Outlook
- Significant Sales Growth: In Q4 2025, Noodles & Company reported nearly 7% system-wide same-store sales growth, with projections indicating an increase to over 9% in Q1 2026, reflecting strong market performance and sustained customer demand.
- Menu Innovation Drive: The company launched its most comprehensive new menu and limited-time offers, including Chili Garlic Ramen and Steak Stroganoff, successfully attracting new customer segments and enhancing brand engagement and customer loyalty.
- Operational Optimization Results: By closing underperforming restaurants, sales were transferred to nearby locations, resulting in a significant increase in average sales volume at those restaurants, with restaurant contribution margin reaching 14.1% in Q4 2025, up 290 basis points year-over-year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the optimization strategy.
- Optimistic Financial Outlook: The company forecasts total revenue between $478 million and $493 million for 2026, with adjusted EBITDA projected at $30 million to $35 million, and expects to achieve positive free cash flow, further strengthening financial stability and debt management capabilities.
See More
Noodles & Company Q4 Earnings Exceed Expectations
- Strong Earnings Report: Noodles & Company reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of -$0.43, beating expectations by $0.29, indicating an improvement in profitability despite still being negative.
- Revenue Growth: Q4 revenue reached $122.8 million, a 0.8% year-over-year increase, surpassing market expectations by $400,000, demonstrating the company's resilience in a competitive market.
- Comparable Sales Growth: Comparable restaurant sales grew approximately 9.0%, reflecting successful strategies in customer attraction and retention, which are expected to drive future revenue growth.
- 2026 Outlook: The company anticipates full-year revenue between $478 million and $493 million, with restaurant contribution margins of 14.7% to 16.0%, indicating a positive outlook on cost control and profitability.
See More
NOODLES & COMPANY RELEASES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025
Fourth Quarter Financial Results: Noodles & Company has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting key performance metrics and growth indicators.
Full Year Financial Performance: The company also provided a comprehensive overview of its financial performance for the entire year of 2025, showcasing overall revenue and profitability trends.
See More
Noodles & Company to Announce Q4 Earnings on March 25
- Earnings Announcement: Noodles & Company is set to release its Q4 earnings on March 25, with a consensus EPS estimate of -$0.72, reflecting a significant year-over-year decline of 380%, indicating substantial profitability challenges for the company.
- Revenue Expectations: The anticipated revenue for Q4 is $122.4 million, representing a modest year-over-year increase of 0.5%, which, while slight, suggests the company is striving to maintain revenue levels in a highly competitive market.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Noodles & Company has only beaten EPS estimates 38% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time, highlighting ongoing challenges in profitability and revenue growth.
- Investor Activity: Activist investor Galloway has increased his stake in Noodles & Company, indicating market interest in the company's future potential, which may prompt strategic adjustments despite the current financial underperformance.
See More
