Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company has appointed Joe Christina as its president and chief operating officer. A seasoned restaurant executive with more than three decades of leadership experience, Christina will oversee operations and human resources and help further elevate the Noodles & Company experience for both guests and team members.
“Joe is a highly accomplished leader with deep operational expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation in the restaurant industry,” says Drew Madsen, chief executive officer at Noodles & Company. “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. Joe will also help ensure the successful execution of our comprehensive new menu introduction in the first half of this year.”
Christina has an extensive background in QSR and fast-casual restaurant leadership, with expertise spanning operations, financial management, market development, marketing, human resources and franchise leadership.
Christina’s career began at Burger King, where he was promoted through a series of key positions over 29 years including restaurant manager, franchise owner, vice president of global operations and training to senior vice president of franchise operations for the West division.
In 2013, he joined Church’s Chicken as executive vice president of U.S. operations, before being promoted to CEO, president and board member. During his 6-year tenure, he led the brand to significant year-over-year growth. Most recently, Christina served as CEO of Tijuana Flats, where he revitalized the brand and spearheaded its expansion.
Christina succeeds Brad West, who announced his retirement in 2024 after 8 years as COO. West will remain with the company as chief of staff through June 2025 to ensure a seamless transition.
Founded in 1995, Noodles & Company currently has over 460 restaurants. For more information, visit www.noodles.com.
SOURCE: Noodles & Company