Noodles & Company Stock Gains As Former Burger King Exec Takes Over As President And COO — Retail Stays Reserved

Shares of Noodles & Company (NDLS) rose 1.2% in after-hours trading on Wednesday following the announcement of Joe Christina as its new president and COO, but retail sentiment remained subdued.

In his role, Christina will be responsible for overseeing operations and human resources.

According to a company statement, Christina, formerly a SVP of Franchise Operations for the West Division at Burger King, has extensive background in quick service and fast-casual restaurant space “with more than three decades of leadership experience.”

His experience spans operations, financial management, marketing, human resources, and franchise leadership.

“Joe is a highly accomplished leader with deep operational expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation in the restaurant industry,” said Drew Madsen, Noodles & Company’s CEO. “His experience as both a CEO and operations leader makes him uniquely positioned to further elevate our foundation of operations excellence, strengthen our team culture, and unlock the significant growth opportunities ahead.”

Christina’s appointment is also aimed at helping the company with the “successful execution” of its new menu introduction in the first half of this year, said the company.

In 2013, Christina joined Church’s Chicken as EVP of U.S. operations, before being promoted to CEO and president.  Most recently, Christina served as CEO of Tijuana Flats.

Christina has succeeded Brad West, who announced his retirement last year and is staying on as chief of staff through June 2025.

Sentiment on Stocktwits remained subdued in the ‘bearish’ zone. Message volume inched up slightly in the ‘extremely low’ zone.

“Their people-first culture deeply resonates with me. By focusing on operations excellence, menu innovation, and expanding catering, we will unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable, long-term success," Christina said, adding that “Noodles is a standout concept with a strong foundation, a highly differentiated menu, and significant growth potential.”

Noodles & Company has over 460 restaurants and 7,000 employees.

Noodles & Company stock is up 179% year-to-date.

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