NEW IN TOWN
USING THEIR
noodles NEW RESTAURANT’S OWNERS BRINGING POPULAR “FAST-CASUAL” PASTA RESTAURANT BY DONNA CORNELIUS
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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NOTHING BUT NOODLES
Nothing But Noodles offers an extensive menu of pasta dishes, including Italian, Asian, American and Cajun options. In addition to pasta, it offers a range of salads, soups, desserts and appetizers.
eteran Alabama restaurateurs Alan Renfroe and Dana Price had been looking for a while for the right opportunity to break into the Tuscaloosa market. They found it, Renfroe said, with a restaurant that dishes up a familiar, family-friendly food. “I met the guy who owns the Nothing but Noodles franchise in Huntsville and fell in love with the brand,” Renfroe said. “There’s nothing like this in Tuscaloosa. And if you can fill a void, you can’t help but be successful.” The first Nothing but Noodles opened in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2002. In Alabama, there are two Huntsville stores and one in Mountain Brook. Tuscaloosa’s Nothing but Noodles will be at the new Shoppes at Legacy Park retail center on McFarland Boulevard. Renfroe said he hopes the restaurant will open on or close to Oct. 15, its original target date. The eatery should attract diners of all ages and tastes, he said. “Noodles appeal to a broad audience,” Renfroe said. “Our price point crosses almost all demographics. It’s affordable.” As one might expect, diners can choose from a long list of pasta concoctions. “You can have noodle dishes from around the world,” Renfroe said. “You can get add-ins, too. You can order fettuccine, for example, and add fish, chicken or beef.” On the menu are specialty pastas like Shrimp Scampi, Lobster Ravioli, and Thai Curry Beef and Vegetables. American pastas include Three-cheese Macaroni, Spicy Cajun, and Beef Stroganoff. A few of the Asian choices are Pad Thai Noodles, Spicy Japanese Noodles, and Sesame Lo Mein. Italian options include Capellini Primavera, Pomodoro Pasta and, for the purist, Spaghetti and Meatballs. While oodles of noodles are front and center, pasta isn’t the only food on the menu. For starters, you can get Thai Lettuce Wraps or Potstickers and soups like Green Chile Maize and Thai Curry. Salads include the Pear
and Balsamic Spinach Salad, Spicy Cucumber Salad, Greek Salad and the descriptively named Hunk of Lettuce. An unexpected treat on the dessert list is cotton candy, which seems to delight adults as well as children, Renfroe said. Other sweets are tiramisu, cannoli, mango pie, and glutenfree Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie. Also available will be domestic and imported beer and wine by the glass. “Everything is fresh here,” Renfroe said. “There won’t be a microwave in the building. Our sauces and gravies are all made fresh. Everything is wok-seared on the spot when you order it.” Nothing but Noodles also does catering. “This product holds really well,” Renfroe said. “It comes out of the wok and goes into the catering pans.” Owning a Nothing but Noodles franchise appealed to Renfroe and Price not only because of its food but also because of its concept, Renfroe said. “The restaurant business has changed,” he said. “Now, fast-casual is dominating the industry. Couples with kids want to come in and order at the counter, sit down, get a great product quickly — and not have to pay a tip. “Our other restaurants are full-service. This is our first venture into fast-casual, but it will be our model moving forward.” The Nothing but Noodles corporation recently created new graphics and upgraded the furniture in its franchises, Renfroe said. “Ours will be the first store to have the new look,” he said. “This is the company’s launch concept.” Finding the right location also was a deciding factor in opening Nothing but Noodles in Tuscaloosa, Renfroe said. “We’re able to be in a new shopping center that, with places like Fresh Market, Dick’s Sporting Goods and PetSmart, will become a go-to destination,” he said. “It checked all the boxes.” There’s one more reason the partners are happy to be in Tuscaloosa: “Dana and I both bleed crimson,” Renfroe said. 27
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