Penne Rosa goes well with a glass of wine

UPDATED JUNE 23, 2015

Noodles & Company has a tradition that you should find tempting – how about giving away 300 free lunches to help launch its newest of 455-plus restaurants, right here in University City?

Noodles & Company officially opens on July 3 at University Place in a new building that it will share with another restaurant, Tijuana Flats (see related article).

You and up to 1 guest can get a taste of what’s to come, for free! “This gives us the opportunity to introduce ourselves to the community and to train our new team, as well,” says marketing manager Sam Perry.

To get your free lunch, just REGISTER ONLINE for  July 2. Meals will be served 11 am-2 pm only. As of June 23, 57 of 150 free meals are still available on July 2. All free meals for June 30 have been claimed.

“Your World Kitchen”

Noodles & Company offers one the world’s favorite foods in dozens of “globally inspired” dishes ranging from spicy Indonesian Peanut Sauté to Wisconsin Mac & Cheese – all prepared fresh within a few minutes of placing your order.

The menu features two-dozen customizable noodle bowls, salads, soups and sandwiches. Or try the BUFF Bowl, a limited-time promotion where you can pick from among four popular noodle bowls, get twice the veggies and have it served on a bed of spinach instead of noodles.

Regardless of what you choose, meals are made to your specifications, individually sautéed or prepared and served tableside, the N&C website says. “All for around $8 per dish. No tipping.”

Noodles & Company offers a casual atmosphere with meals plated on china and served by its staff.

Fast service, made to order

The dining experience starts at the entrance, where customers can scan the wall menu, decide the dish they want and choose from many options for customizing it, explains communications manager Erin Murphy. “Noodle ambassadors take the order,” she adds. “We cook it then; everything is made very fresh.”

So yes, you will have to wait, but not for long. Dishes are brought to your table within 5-7 minutes, Murphy says, served on real china.

That extra detail is part of a much broader campaign by Noodles & Company to serve healthy food in a healthy environment. Visit the One Step at a Time webpage to learn about organic ingredients, gluten-free noodles, vegan dishes, humane treatment of animals, water and energy conservation and, of course, how serving your Noodles & Company meal on china kept 30 million plastic bowls out of landfills last year.

Noodles & Company and Tijuana Flats share a new building at University Place

Free-lunch details

Help Noodles & Company break in the china at its new restaurant, at 8926 J.M. Keynes Drive in University Place. You are invited to enjoy a FREE lunch (includes any entrée and a drink) from 11 am to 2 pm July 2. CLICK HERE to register online. When you attend the event, please make sure to bring your registration confirmation. Once your name is checked off the reservation list, we’ll be ready to hook you up with your new favorite dish! You can bring one guest, too.

Learn more about Noodles & Company

Noodles & Company will open July 3 at 8926 J.M. Keynes Drive in University Place

• Hours: 11 am-9 pm Sun-Thu, 11 am-10 pm Fri-Sat
• Website: http://www.noodles.com/locations/864
• Menu: http://www.noodles.com/food/