Noodles & Company named Scott Davis its chief concept officer on Wednesday, effective June 19.
The industry veteran held that same position at Panera for decades, from 1987 to 2015, and then became president and chief concept officer of 46-unit bowl concept CoreLife Eatery.
Although Drew Madsen, who was named Noodles’ CEO in March, following several months as interim CEO, also is a former Panera executive, he started at the fast-casual sandwich chain several months after Davis left, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
Davis’ appointment comes as Noodles & Company is in the process of a makeover to help stem declining sales. Madsen has implemented initiatives to improve underperforming restaurants and restructure staffing to ensure more managers are on-hand during the busy nightshift. The chain is also undergoing technology upgrades and has introduced several limited-time offers in recent months, including steak stroganoff and baked four-cheese chicken Alfredo as it works with consulting company The Culinary Edge on a full-scale menu revamp in 2025.
“Scott brings an unmatched track record of concept development and innovation success in the fast-casual segment, and I am delighted he is joining our leadership team to help us capture the full potential of our unique brand,” Madsen said in a press release announcing Davis’ appointment. “We believe Scott’s experience evolving established restaurant chains at scale, plus his most recent experience helping create and grow a new fast-casual start-up concept, are exactly the skills we need to help strengthen brand relevance through the core menu and LTO innovation and drive sustained, profitable growth at Noodles.”
During his time at Panera, Davis oversaw the launch of bagels, panini sandwiches, entrée salads and free Wifi, among other innovations and won the Nation’s Restaurant News MenuMasters Innovator of the year in 2011.
"Bringing a restaurant concept to life is my passion, and I am very excited to join Noodles & Company and help accelerate the next phase of growth,” Davis said in a statement. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to help drive the company's success."
Noodles & Company is based on Broomfield, Colo., and operates or franchises more than 450 restaurants nationwide.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
