New "Uncommon Goodness" Mural in Northeast Minneapolis is More Than Just a Fun Graphic

Article by Becky Fillinger

Scott Parkin strikes a pose in front of the new Uncommon Goodness mural commissioned by Noodles & Company.  Photo: Amy Sperling 

We have a delightful new mural in Northeast Minneapolis. How does a mural make its way to the side of a building? I talked to a local community leader and to a corporate marketing manager to get the inside story.

Scott Parkin, Director on the Board of the Nicollet Island -East Bank Neighborhood Association (NIEBNA), tipped me off to the new mural. He noted that NIEBNA had been looking at several locations for a mural project and were beaten to the punch by Noodles & Company, which commissioned this piece. He explained, “They moved fast – they worked with Asana Partners, who own the building and are great community partners, to obtain the space. They hired the artist. It was completed in less than a week – it started on Monday and was finished by Friday.”  

Scott was enthusiastic about what a project, a mural, can mean to a community. “These ‘Instagrammable moments’ show that Old Town is a fun place to go – for shopping, eating, drinking and carrying on as we do here - and it similarly enhances the community for people who live and work here. But more than that – it discourages graffiti on an empty ‘dead’ wall. It’s bright, it’s fun.”

So, I had more questions. Why did Noodles & Company pick this space and location (the mural is located in the alley behind Masu Sushi & Robata on Fourth Street SE between E Hennepin and Central Avenue) for a mural? For this, I spoke to Stephanie Winslow-Sell, Marketing Manager at Noodles & Company, about the project.

Q:  What was the genesis of the mural in Northeast Minneapolis?

A:  We recently introduced our new brand positioning, Uncommon Goodness. Through Uncommon Goodness, we are bringing our purpose to life by elevating the uncommon goodness that has been core to our brand for more than 25 years. From how we treat our team members and create a unique guest experience, to how we carefully select ingredients and positively impact the communities we serve, we strive to infuse Uncommon Goodness into everything we do.

As we looked at ways to spread Uncommon Goodness, we envisioned a mural that would inspire people and good for the community. The mural features a QR code at the bottom right corner that, once scanned, donates $1 to Marcy School for the Arts (maximum donation of $10,000). The QR code will also bring each person scanning to a landing page offering a free rice crispy redeemable at any Minnesota Noodles & Company restaurant.

Day 1 of the project. Photo: Scott Parkin

Day 4 of the project. Photo: Scott Parkin

The completed project! Photo: Konnect Agency

Q:  It’s beautiful - did the artist design the mural?

A:  Yes, we provided a creative brief and then let the artist, Chuck U, take it away. Chuck U is a local Minneapolis painter, illustrator and muralist who specializes in whimsical yet intricate works that celebrate the unusual and unexpected.

Q: How did you select the artist? Was there a competition?

A:  There was not a competition, we worked with a company called Muros who helped us source the artist. They helped us picked the location and then gave us five artist options and we selected Chuck because we felt like his whimsical and unexpected work was a great fit for highlighting Uncommon Goodness.

Q:  Is Noodles doing this in other cities?

A:  With 45 Noodles locations in Minnesota, we chose Minneapolis as the first city to receive a mural. We’re exploring other cities as well but we’re proud to bring it to Minneapolis first.

Q: Thank you for brightening up our city. Will Noodles change it up over time?

A: We cannot wait to find new and unexpected ways to spread Uncommon Goodness throughout Minneapolis and beyond. To find out what’s next, we encourage our guests to follow us on social media: Facebook, and Instagram.