Noodles & Company will soon have a new CEO.
The company on Tuesday said Joseph Christina, the Broomfield, Colorado-based chain’s current president and chief operating officer, has been promoted to president and CEO, effective Aug. 31. He will also join the chain’s board of directors.
Christina will succeed Drew Madsen, who is stepping down for personal medical reasons, the company said. Madsen will stay on through August to facilitate the transition, and he will continue to serve on the board.
“On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank Drew for his steady leadership and service,” said Jeff Jones, board chair. “We’re pleased he will continue to provide guidance as a board director, given his vast industry experience and leadership as we have undertaken our brand revitalization work to date, and he has our full support.”
Christina is an industry veteran who served most recently as CEO of Tijuana Flats before joining Noodles earlier this year. He is also a former president and CEO of Church’s Chicken, and he spent nearly 30 years with Burger King, growing from restaurant manager to senior vice president of U.S franchise operations for the West division.
Christina steps up at a pivotal time for Noodles, which is a year into a revitalization plan launched by Madsen. A comprehensive menu overhaul was rolled out in March, and was beginning to show results in the first quarter, with systemwide same-store sales up 4.4%, including a 1.8% increase in traffic.
Still, the chain’s stock price has fallen to lows that have twice prompted warnings of delisting from the Nasdaq. And activist investors were circling last year, prompting some additions to the board.
Christina said he was grateful to have joined the company under Madsen’s leadership, and that he “looked forward to leading a laser-focus on operational excellence, as well as enhancing our menu offerings, to unlock long-term value for our guests, team members, franchisees and shareholders.”
Noodles has been struggling with sales deterioration for years, and in 2023 the company ousted former CEO Dave Boennighausen, bringing in Madsen, the former president of Panera Bread and already a Noodles board member, as his replacement.
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