Noodle Box

Heralding the official arrival of summer, Noodle Box – the original wok-tossed noodles in a box – has launched two mouth-watering salads.
The salads are both 97% fat free and include a Thai calamari salad and a Thai beef salad, featuring lightly wok fried calamari or tender beef slightly charred both tossed with summer salad, crushed peanuts and a tangy Thai salad dressing and served in a funky little box.
Noodle Box general manager of marketing and training, Rowena Wilkinson, said everybody loves a good noodle but these salads were a summer lovers’ delight and would be a welcome addition for customers looking for something light and fresh for summer.
“The salads are perfect for someone on the go during Summer. Whether down at the beach or meeting friends for a picnic in the park, they’re a convenient and healthy lunch, guaranteed to satisfy your summer hunger,” Rowena said.
“Made using the highest quality ingredients, the salads will be served in a regular size box and are a perfect summer partner with a noodle box or enjoyed on its own”.
“At $9.50 each, they’re an affordable lunch and dinner option.”
The contemporary Noodle Box menu also offers a teriyaki beef or chicken salad with lime.
If you’re not a fan of salad, there’s 16 different Asian-style noodle, rice, soup as well as a delicious selection of starters and a dessert to choose from.
The meals themselves are highly authentic, but completely customisable to suit the tastes and dietary requirements of the customer, including vegetarians, coeliacs, gluten or lactose intolerants and those seeking low fat or low carbohydrate options.

Noodle Box is giving a break to Australian seniors baring the brunt of spiralling food and living costs.
Noodle Box, which operates 70 stores nationally, is reducing the price of its small box meals to $4.95 for anyone over 60 years of age.
Noodle Box general manager of marketing and training, Rowena Wilkinson, said the offer aims to help hundreds of thousands of Australian aged pensioners who are feeling the pinch.
“In Asian culture, it is customary for people to respect their elders and as an Asian food chain we want to stay true to this philosophy. We feel compelled to lend a hand to Australian seniors,” Ms Wilkinson said.
“Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we reach out to seniors who are struggling.
“Our offer, which is valid all day, every day, will remain in place until the Federal Government increases the single aged pension.
“It represents a discount of up to 50 per cent on most of our menu items.”
To take advantage of the discount, aged pensioners just need to present their drivers license or seniors card in store.
The contemporary Noodle Box menu boasts 16 different hot, healthy and fresh noodle, rice and salad boxes, each of which can be customised, as well as a delicious selection of starters and a dessert.
“It’s the culmination of our product, people and the in-store experience that sets Noodle Box apart,” she said.
“We’re more than just great tasting, healthy noodle stores. We place a huge emphasis on the entire Noodle Box experience from our skillful wok cooks and open, modern kitchens to our customisable menu and interactive kiosks.”
Launched in Melbourne in 1996, Noodle Box will grow its national portfolio of stores to 200 by the end of 2010.
Noodle Box stores are open 7 days for lunch and dinner.
Seniors $4.95 Box Conditions:
- Must present Seniors or National Seniors card.
Menu items only. One box per card per day.

A new Boondall business has had a hot first week. Asian cuisine takeaway chain Noodle Box started operating at Boondall last Tuesday. Franchisee Dave Surmon said customers had embraced his business’s offering of healthy takeaway food in the suburbs. Mr Surmon said the first week at Boondall had been a success. "On our first day, with no marketing, we did very well, and, on the second day, we had higher takings than the Nundah store," he said. Noodle Box, which started in Melbourne in 1996, has 70 shops nationally, including outlets at Nundah and Boondall. Mr Surmon said he opened a Noodle Box at Boondall to capitalise on the nearby industrial area, while the shop's location outside Nudgee College meant it was also able to cash in on the school market. Mr Surmon said Noodle Box provided a healthy alttraditional fast food. "You have your veggies, meats and it all tastes great too," he said. Mr Surmon operates the shop on behalf of Planet Noodle, a holding company hat owns several Noodle Box franchises. He aimed to provide a community-friendly atmosphere at the Boondall shop. "We are employing six staff and they are all locals," Mr Surmon said. The menu features 16 Asian-style noodle, rice, soup and salad boxes, as well as starters and desserts.

Noodle Box has turned up the heat on the Federal Government by offering cut price meals until Canberra increases the pension. The Asian takeaway chain recently announced it will support those seniors with a hankering for noodles amid "spiraling food and living costs". The national franchise's decision will no doubt be marketing gold in an audience that was perhaps the biggest eater of Asian takeaway, cut price or otherwise. But the decision also marks a bold step to influence Government decision-makers to look after the nation's oldies. Noodle Box marketing and training general manager Rowena Wilkinson said Geelong's Ryrie St store will offer small box meals for $4.95 to anyone aged over 60, a reduction of $3 a box for most menu items. "In Asian culture, it is customary for people to respect their elders and as an Asian food business we want to stay true to this philosophy," she said. "We feel compelled to lend a hand to our local seniors. Our offer, which is valid all day, every day, will remain in place until the Federal Government increases the single aged pension." "It represents a discount of up to 50 per cent on most of our menu items."

KREMENA GELAGOGIS: We only opened four months ago. We decided to buy a Noodle Box franchise because it's very hard to develop a successful business on your own these days. We felt it was a lower risk than going out on our own. We have a young family so we needed something more secure. We get business training and we get marketing support, and there are 70 other successful stores around Australia.
It's a healthy franchise; it's healthy food. We wanted a product that was in step with the community's desire for well-priced healthy food. Byron Bay has lots of backpackers, but we also wanted the local people to eat here, too. I was a personal trainer in Melbourne for three or four years, so health is something I have always been interested in. The price of the food was another thing, too. You can feed a family of four at the noodle bar for under $40. A small box will feed two children and a big box will feed two adults. The price had to be comfortable. My advice to anyone wanting to start a business is it's a lot of hard work, and you need to have patience. You really need to do your research and see what is needed and what is wanted in the place you want to set up the business. You need to consult with the locals and see if it is what they want. It is really important to have locals on-side. We identified a gap in the market in Byron for fast, but healthy, food. We felt that the food we could offer was what local people wanted. We have vegetarian food. And there are a lot of people with allergies in Byron Bay. All our food is labelled with the ingredients. We tell them exactly what is in each box of food. People around here want to know about that. The marketing support we get as a franchise is good, too. At the moment we are offering seniors small boxes for $4.95 because we wanted to recognise how difficult it is with the rise in the cost of living. We are really proud of our business. 
HEALTHY PROFIT: Jim and Kremena Gelagogis, of the Noodle Box in Byron Bay, say that selling a healthy product for a good price is paying dividends.

Verne Smith knows how tough it is financially for the elderly residents of Ballina Shire at the moment. And he knows how much they have been through in their life- times - including wars and six re- cessions. The owner of the Noodle Box in Ballina Fair has joined a national campaign by the 70 Noodle Box stores and has reduced the price of the small box meals to $4.95 for anyone over the age of 60, and they will stay at that price until the Federal Government increases the aged pension.
Prices normally start at $7.70. Verne, a former pilot in the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, said Australia wouldn't be the country it is today without the efforts of the now elderly residents. "And we're doing everything we can for them," he said. "In Asian culture, it is customary for people to respect their elders and as an Asian food business we want to stay true to this philosophy. "We feel compelled to lend a hand to our local seniors." The deal started last week, and Verne said it has been very well accepted by customers in tough financial times. To take advantage of the dis count, aged pensioners just need present their drivers licence or seniors card in store.