By Anne Halliwell

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The new north campus location of Noodles & Company donated all of the money it earned on Monday to the Lexington YMCA.

The proceeds from Monday’s soft opening went to the charity, as the business served customers Italian and Thai dishes before its official opening date on Tuesday.

Chad Colony, president and CEO of Invictus LLC, is the franchise owner for Central Kentucky. He said the goal was to raise $5,000 in order to send 50 children to camp.

“One of the core pillars of our business is that we give back to the community,” Colony said. “What I love about the YMCA is … one hundred percent of (what they do) is for the community.”

Colony said the new restaurant location at 395 S. Limestone St. will deliver within a half-mile radius, which encompasses UK’s campus, the hospital and even Transylvania University.

The north campus restaurant joins the first Lexington location on Nicholasville Road, which opened in February 2014.

Noodles & Company is a walk-in restaurant that offers foods from a multitude of traditions with one common theme running throughout: noodles.

The chain restaurant serves noodles and pasta from different cultures like Japanese Pan Noodles, Bangkok Curry and Steak Stroganoff, as well as American dishes like Wisconsin Mac and Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup.

“Noodles (are) the one common denominator from all cultures,” Colony said.

The new location will have a late-night window open until 3 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday, Colony said, which may interest college students looking for food after dark.

Colony added that Noodles & Company was founded on the idea of fresh-made food and conservation, which plays into the restaurant’s use of washable dishes and preparatory practices.

“The cool thing about it is that we have no microwaves, no can openers, no freezers,” Colony said. “Everything is made fresh.”