BROOMFIELD - Restaurant chain Noodles & Co. filed an initial public offering to raise up to $75 million to open new locations, according to documents filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Broomfield-based fast-casual restaurant company did not say what the stock price per share would be or how many shares it expected to sell. Company stock will be traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol NDLS.

Noodles & Co. plans to open between 38 and 42 new company-owned restaurants and eight franchise restaurants in 2013, according to the documents. The company plans to grow to 2,500 restaurants in the next 15 to 20 years in the United States, according to documents.

Noodles restaurant menus feature items with noodles in them - from pad thai to macaroni and cheese - as well as soups, salads and sandwiches, which are served on china.

Noodles & Co. has 339 restaurants, including 288 company-owned restaurants and 51 franchise restaurants, across 25 states. Company revenue grew to $300 million in 2012 from $170 million in 2008, a compound annual growth rate of 15.2 percent. Company income grew to $16 million in 2012 from $2 million in 2008, a 67.5 percent annual growth rate, according to documents.

The first Noodles & Co. restaurant opened in 1995, and the company was headquartered in Boulder before moving to Broomfield. Connecticut private equity firm Catterton Partners is the majority owner of the company. Noodles has about 90 employees its headquarters in Broomfield and about 6,500 employees nationwide.
Kevin Reddy serves as chairman and chief executive officer of the company.