Throughout the 284 Noodles and Company restaurants in 32 states, one dish has risen to the top as the most popular: the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese.

So it only seems right that Wisconsin is one of the company's stronger markets and that it would look to expand here if the conditions were right.

Well, the conditions were right on Howell Avenue in Oak Creek, where a 2,500-square-foot building has been under construction since September.

Though no specific date has been set, the restaurant is scheduled to open in late spring, said Mandy Melby, Noodles communications manager.

"Wisconsin has been such a great market in general and we feel there are a lot of opportunities to grow," Melby said.

The company saw the location - in the Oak Creek Centre development, across from the library and community center - as a good one to reach customers.

And it also sees the Oak Creek community as a "cultural fit" - the restaurant prides itself on its charitable contributions and wants to become part of the fabric of each city it enters, Melby said.

Helping matters on that front is the 30 to 40 jobs the restaurant is expected to create.

"We are extremely dedicated to being an active member in the community," she said.

The building, which will include an outdoor patio in front, will be owned by Gateway Jackson, Inc. and leased to Noodles.

Plans were unanimously approved by the Oak Creek Plan Commission last fall.