Noodles & Company has named Scott Davis as its new chief concept officer, effective June 19. Prior to this, Davis was integral to the brand transformation of Panera Bread, from a local St. Louis company to a national brand and the birth of the fast-casual bowl-based concept, CoreLife Eatery.
Davis’ tenure at Panera Bread saw him leading the helm for culinary development, category management, restaurant design, and sustainability efforts. He significantly contributed to various innovations that boosted lunch and dinner traffic, including Panera’s first bagel program, panini sandwiches, entrée salads, the “secret menu,” and free Wi-Fi. Davis also drafted the initial version of Panera’s Food Policy document.
Drew Madsen, CEO of Noodles & Co., lauded Davis’ track record and stated, “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 further expressed confidence in Davis’ ability to help strengthen brand relevance and drive growth at Noodles.
Davis acknowledged that “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. I look forward to leveraging my experience to help drive the company’s success.”
Owing to his contributions in the food industry, Davis is a two-time recipient of the “Menu Masters” award for product development and has been recognized as “Innovator of the Year” by Menu Masters.
Noodles & Co., established in 1995, serves a broad spectrum of noodle dishes and flavors at over 450 restaurants. The Broomfield-based company counts 8,000 employees nationwide.