Oct. 6 at 7:55 PM
$NDLS 🍜 Noodles & Company: People Don’t Get It — It’s Not About
$15 Noodles, It’s About Location Power
Everyone keeps parroting “discretionary spending is down” and “restaurants are doomed,” but they’re missing the real play here.
Noodles & Company isn’t fighting for
$15 impulse buys — it’s strategically embedded in multi-use REIT-backed developments where the demographic profile doesn’t blink at paying for convenience.
These aren’t strip-mall chains anymore. They’re anchored in lifestyle ecosystems — apartment complexes, walkable mixed-use communities, and urban infill markets where:
Residents are paying
$400K+ for 700 sq. ft. condos,
They’re walking distance from gyms, cafes, dry cleaners, and yes — Noodles & Company,
And they value speed, health, and consistency far more than saving
$3 on lunch.
That’s not “discretionary weakness.” That’s captured demand.
