Joe Christina
President and Chief Executive Officer
Joseph Christina became President and Chief Executive Officer of Noodles & Company and a member of our Board of Directors on August 31, 2025. He joined the Company in February 2025 as President and Chief Operating Officer before being promoted to CEO. Before Noodles, he was Chief Executive Officer of Tijuana Flats from 2022 to 2024, where he revitalized the brand and drove expansion. Prior to that, he served as EVP, U.S. Operations and then CEO, President, and board member of Church’s Chicken from 2013 to 2022. His career began at Burger King, where he worked for 29 years in roles of increasing responsibility including Restaurant Manager, Franchise Owner, VP of Global Operations and Training, and ultimately SVP of Franchise Operations for the West Division. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Quinnipiac University. He brings to our Company and our Board broad experience in executive leadership, restaurant operations, and restaurant brand development
Mike Hynes
Chief Financial Officer
Mike Hynes joined Noodles & Company as Chief Financial Officer in July 2023, bringing over 25 years of finance and accounting experience. Before Noodles, he held multiple leadership roles at Ruth’s Hospitality Group, including VP of Finance and Accounting at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where he oversaw investor relations, SEC reporting, strategic planning, and financial analysis. Earlier in his career, Mike worked at firms including RSM and Deloitte. He is a CPA and holds a BS in Business Administration from Auburn University and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia.
Kathy Lockhart
Chief Accounting Officer
Kathy Lockhart has served as Chief Accounting Officer of Noodles & Company since August 2020, following 14 years as the Company’s Vice President and Controller. She brings extensive experience from leadership roles at Einstein Bros., Boston Market, VICORP, and Ultimate Electronics. Kathy holds a BA in Business Administration and Political Science from Western Colorado University and is a CPA and CGMA.
Corey Kline
Executive Vice President of Technology
Corey Kline is our EVP of Technology. He joined Noodles & Company in September 2011 as Director of IT and was promoted to VP in 2016. Corey previously held roles at Famous Dave’s, Accenture, Jefferson Wells, and IBM, with a background in enterprise applications and risk management. Corey holds a BA in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from Luther College.
Jennilee Childs
Vice President of Human Resources
Jennilee Childs became VP of Human Resources at Noodles & Company in March 2024, having joined the Company in 2019. She leads our people strategy, working closely with operations leaders to enhance employee engagement, support business goals, and foster a culture of inclusion. Jennilee has held HR roles at Rock Bottom Restaurants and Lowe’s Home Improvement. She holds an MBA from George Washington University.
Cheryl Lucente
Vice President of Legal & Corporate Secretary
Cheryl Lucente joined Noodles & Company as VP of Legal in March 2025. She was appointed as our Corporate Secretary in May 2025. Cheryl brings over 20 years of legal experience to Noodles, most recently serving as in-house counsel for Bloomin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company to Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. She received a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and her law degree, magna cum laude, and MBA from Stetson University.
Becky Randall
Vice President of Ops Services & Training
Becky Randall became Vice President of Ops Services & Training for Noodles & Company in June 2025. She joined Noodles in October 2015 and has served in roles of increasing responsibility, including most recently as our Director of Training. Becky has more than 30 years of restaurant industry experience, including as Senior Manager of Training for Craftwork Restaurants & Breweries in Denver, Colorado. She is passionate about restaurant operations and excels at leading cross-functional teams and finding ways to leverage technology to improve operations and support data-driven strategies.
Frank Rodriguez
Vice President of Company Operations
Frank Rodriguez joined Noodles & Company as Vice President of Operations, West in October 2019 and was promoted to Vice President, Company Operations in June 2025. He has over 35 years of restaurant industry experience, with a strong focus on driving operational excellence through providing leadership to multi-unit leaders and developing high performing teams within an organization. Prior to joining Noodles, Frank held multiple senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Operations at Bojangles’ Restaurants, Inc. and Regional Director of Operations with Whataburger Restaurants, LLC.