Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 28, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Data Security Incident On June 28, 2016, the Company announced that a data security incident may have compromised the security of payment information of some customers who used debit or credit cards at certain Noodles & Company locations between January 31, 2016 and June 2, 2016. Credit and debit cards used at the affected locations are no longer at risk from the malware involved in this incident. The Company has been working to implement additional security procedures to further secure customers’ debit and credit card information. The Company has incurred costs associated with this security incident as of June 28, 2016, including legal fees, investigative fees and costs of communications with customers. In addition, payment card companies may issue assessments to the Company’s processor for card replacement and card issuer losses alleged to be associated with the security incident. The processor may then seek indemnity from the Company for these costs pursuant to contract. The Company expects that certain of such costs and assessments will be covered under the Company’s cyber liability insurance coverage. At this point, the Company is unable to predict the developments in, outcome of, and economic and other consequences of future litigation or regulatory investigations related to, and other costs associated with, this matter. The Company will continue to evaluate these matters in light of subsequent events, new information and future circumstances. Currently, the Company cannot reasonably estimate a loss associated with settlements of the payment card networks’ expected claims for non-ordinary course operating expenses or any amounts associated with the networks’ expected claims for alleged card issuer losses and/or card replacement costs because a loss associated with settling such claims, while probable in the Company’s judgment, is not reasonably estimable, in part because the Company has not yet received third-party card issuer loss reporting from the payment card networks. The Company is not able to reasonably estimate a range of possible losses related to an expected settlement of the payment card networks’ claims because the investigation into the matter is ongoing and there are significant factual and legal issues to be resolved. The Company believes that it is possible that the ultimate amount paid on payment card network claims, to the extent not covered by, or in excess of the limits of, the Company’s cyber liability insurance, could be material to its results of operations in future periods. The Company will continue to evaluate information as it becomes known and will record an estimate for losses at the time or times when it is both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. In addition, the Company expects to incur significant legal and other professional services expenses associated with the data security incident in future periods. The Company will recognize these expenses as such services are received. Costs related to the data security incident that may be incurred in future periods may also include liabilities to payment card networks for reimbursements of credit card issuer losses and card reissuance costs; liabilities from future civil litigation, governmental investigations and enforcement proceedings; future expenses for legal, investigative and consulting fees and incremental expenses and capital investments for remediation activities. The Company believes that the ultimate amount paid on these services and claims could be material to the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in future periods. To limit its exposure to losses arising from matters such as the data security incident, the Company maintained cyber liability insurance coverage during the period that the data security incident occurred. This coverage, and certain other customary business insurance coverage, has reduced the Company’s exposure related to the data security incident. The Company will pursue recoveries to the maximum extent available under these policies. Legal As the Company reported in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2016, on March 10, 2016, Carrie Castillo, Anastassia Letourneau and Jacquelyn Myhre, former employees of the Company, filed a purported collective and class action lawsuit against the Company alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Illinois and Minnesota wage laws (the “Labor Laws”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiffs filed the case on their behalf and on behalf of all assistant general managers employed by the Company since January 5, 2013 whom the Company classified as exempt employees, and they allege that the Company violated the Labor Laws by not paying overtime compensation to its assistant general managers. The plaintiffs are seeking, on behalf of themselves and members of the putative class, unpaid overtime compensation, liquidated damages and available penalties under applicable state laws, a declaratory judgment, an injunction, and attorneys’ fees and costs. This case is at an early stage, and the Company is therefore unable to make a reasonable estimate of the probable loss or range of losses, if any, that might arise from this matter. The Company intends to vigorously defend this action. On February 10, 2016, Tammie Carter, a former employee of the Company, filed a purported collective and class action lawsuit against the Company alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Colorado Wage Order in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The plaintiff filed the case on her behalf and on behalf of all assistant general managers employed by us during the past three years whom the Company classified as exempt employees, and she alleged that the Company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Colorado Wage Order by not paying overtime compensation to our assistant general managers. The plaintiff sought, on behalf of herself and members of the putative class, unpaid overtime compensation, damages (including liquidated and/or punitive damages), a declaratory judgment, an injunction, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The case was dismissed by the plaintiffs without prejudice on June 29, 2016. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to other proceedings, lawsuits and claims. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties, and outcomes are not predictable. Consequently, the Company is unable to ascertain the ultimate aggregate amount of monetary liability or financial impact with respect to these matters as of June 28, 2016. These matters could affect the operating results of any one financial reporting period when resolved in future periods. The Company believes that an unfavorable outcome with respect to these matters is remote or if an unfavorable result occurs, the potential range of loss is not material to its consolidated financial statements. Significant increases in the number of these claims, or one or more successful claims that result in greater liabilities than the Company currently anticipates, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Commitments and Contingencies

Data Security Incident

On June 28, 2016, the Company announced that a data security incident may have compromised the security of payment information of some customers who used debit or credit cards at certain Noodles & Company locations between January 31, 2016 and June 2, 2016. Credit and debit cards used at the affected locations are no longer at risk from the malware involved in this incident. The Company has been working to implement additional security procedures to further secure customers’ debit and credit card information.

The Company has incurred costs associated with this security incident as of June 28, 2016, including legal fees, investigative fees and costs of communications with customers. In addition, payment card companies may issue assessments to the Company’s processor for card replacement and card issuer losses alleged to be associated with the security incident. The processor may then seek indemnity from the Company for these costs pursuant to contract. The Company expects that certain of such costs and assessments will be covered under the Company’s cyber liability insurance coverage. At this point, the Company is unable to predict the developments in, outcome of, and economic and other consequences of future litigation or regulatory investigations related to, and other costs associated with, this matter. The Company will continue to evaluate these matters in light of subsequent events, new information and future circumstances.

Currently, the Company cannot reasonably estimate a loss associated with settlements of the payment card networks’ expected claims for non-ordinary course operating expenses or any amounts associated with the networks’ expected claims for alleged card issuer losses and/or card replacement costs because a loss associated with settling such claims, while probable in the Company’s judgment, is not reasonably estimable, in part because the Company has not yet received third-party card issuer loss reporting from the payment card networks. The Company is not able to reasonably estimate a range of possible losses related to an expected settlement of the payment card networks’ claims because the investigation into the matter is ongoing and there are significant factual and legal issues to be resolved. The Company believes that it is possible that the ultimate amount paid on payment card network claims, to the extent not covered by, or in excess of the limits of, the Company’s cyber liability insurance, could be material to its results of operations in future periods. The Company will continue to evaluate information as it becomes known and will record an estimate for losses at the time or times when it is both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable.

In addition, the Company expects to incur significant legal and other professional services expenses associated with the data security incident in future periods. The Company will recognize these expenses as such services are received. Costs related to the data security incident that may be incurred in future periods may also include liabilities to payment card networks for reimbursements of credit card issuer losses and card reissuance costs; liabilities from future civil litigation, governmental investigations and enforcement proceedings; future expenses for legal, investigative and consulting fees and incremental expenses and capital investments for remediation activities. The Company believes that the ultimate amount paid on these services and claims could be material to the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in future periods.

To limit its exposure to losses arising from matters such as the data security incident, the Company maintained cyber liability insurance coverage during the period that the data security incident occurred. This coverage, and certain other customary business insurance coverage, has reduced the Company’s exposure related to the data security incident. The Company will pursue recoveries to the maximum extent available under these policies.

Legal

As the Company reported in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2016, on March 10, 2016, Carrie Castillo, Anastassia Letourneau and Jacquelyn Myhre, former employees of the Company, filed a purported collective and class action lawsuit against the Company alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Illinois and Minnesota wage laws (the “Labor Laws”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiffs filed the case on their behalf and on behalf of all assistant general managers employed by the Company since January 5, 2013 whom the Company classified as exempt employees, and they allege that the Company violated the Labor Laws by not paying overtime compensation to its assistant general managers. The plaintiffs are seeking, on behalf of themselves and members of the putative class, unpaid overtime compensation, liquidated damages and available penalties under applicable state laws, a declaratory judgment, an injunction, and attorneys’ fees and costs. This case is at an early stage, and the Company is therefore unable to make a reasonable estimate of the probable loss or range of losses, if any, that might arise from this matter. The Company intends to vigorously defend this action.

On February 10, 2016, Tammie Carter, a former employee of the Company, filed a purported collective and class action lawsuit against the Company alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Colorado Wage Order in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The plaintiff filed the case on her behalf and on behalf of all assistant general managers employed by us during the past three years whom the Company classified as exempt employees, and she alleged that the Company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Colorado Wage Order by not paying overtime compensation to our assistant general managers. The plaintiff sought, on behalf of herself and members of the putative class, unpaid overtime compensation, damages (including liquidated and/or punitive damages), a declaratory judgment, an injunction, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The case was dismissed by the plaintiffs without prejudice on June 29, 2016.

In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to other proceedings, lawsuits and claims. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties, and outcomes are not predictable. Consequently, the Company is unable to ascertain the ultimate aggregate amount of monetary liability or financial impact with respect to these matters as of June 28, 2016. These matters could affect the operating results of any one financial reporting period when resolved in future periods. The Company believes that an unfavorable outcome with respect to these matters is remote or if an unfavorable result occurs, the potential range of loss is not material to its consolidated financial statements. Significant increases in the number of these claims, or one or more successful claims that result in greater liabilities than the Company currently anticipates, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.