David Milne from Noodle Box
David Milne from Noodle Box
July 28th 2009
It’s been thirteen years since Noodle Box’s doors first opened and the original noodles in a box are more popular than ever. Noodle Box now operates 72 stores nationwide and is the fastest growing noodle franchise in Australia. The company expects to open its 100th store in 2010.
- Josh and Dave established Noodle Box with less than $60,000. The company now turns over more than $42m per annum.
- Noodle Box is still a 100% privately owned Australian business.
- In an average week, more than 75,000 noodle, rice, salad and soup boxes are served at Noodle Box stores across Australia.
Dave, an intrepid traveller in his early twenties, first conceived the idea for Noodle Box while on a working holiday in Europe. He was on a very small wage at the time and could only afford to eat fast food, which � to his delight � was served in convenient, yet quirky boxes.
During a stopover in Singapore, where he witnessed chefs cooking on flaming woks for the first time, Dave uncovered the missing ingredient for his burgeoning business idea. He loved the theatre of the wok�style cooking and realised there was a great opportunity in the Melbourne market for this style of food.
Thirteen years on and with more than 70 Noodle Box stores under his belt, Dave is still as involved in the business as he was back in 1996. He has no regrets and believes the lessons he’s learnt along the way have got him to where he is today.
“Both Josh and I have a genuine appreciation for how much time and work it takes to build a small business. It’s been the greatest learning curve of my life and has supplied me with a great platform for future projects,� Dave said.
In his spare time, Dave loves boating, running, architecture and design. He also has a passion for all things music and regularly attends live gigs and summer music festivals.
