Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is an American fast-casual restaurant chain based in Wichita, Kansas.[3] Its menu includes steakburgers, Vienna Beef hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches, and the company provides frozen custard with a variety of specialty sundaes and concretes (blended sundaes).[4][5][6]
![]() | |
![]() A Freddy's in Cartersville, Georgia | |
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Restaurants |
Genre | fast-casual |
Founded | 2002 |
Founders |
|
Headquarters | 260 N. Rock Road Wichita, Kansas United States |
Number of locations | 450 (2021) |
Area served | 35 states (January 2022)[1] |
Key people | Chris Dull, CEO, President[2] & Co-Founder Scott Redler, COO & Co-Founder Freddy Simon, Co-Founder |
Products | Steakburgers, hot dogs, french fries, frozen custard, milkshakes, soft drinks |
Revenue | ![]() |
Owner | Thompson Street Capital Partners |
Number of employees | 9,751 (2021) |
Website | freddys |
History
Freddy's was founded by restaurateur Scott Redler and two brothers, Bill and Randy Simon, whose father, Freddy Simon was the inspiration for the restaurant,[7] and its namesake. Freddy was a World War II Veteran who lived in Wichita, Kansas.
The company, founded in Wichita in 2002, opened its first franchise in Hutchinson, Kansas, in December 2004. In April 2011, the company opened its 50th store in Victorville, California, and in October 2013 its 100th store in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Its 150th location opened in April 2015 in Loveland, Colorado. Freddy's opened its 300th location in Indianapolis, Indiana, in March 2018.[8][7] In August 2021, the restaurant chain opened their first Wisconsin location in Grand Chute, just outside of Appleton.[9][10] As of August 2021, Freddy’s has more than 380 restaurants across 32 states.[1]
Co-founder and one of the sons of Freddy Simon, Bill Simon, died at age 61 on December 17, 2016, from cancer.[11]
Frederick "Freddy" L. Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers died on October 25, 2020, at the age of 95.[12]
In March 2021, private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partner purchased Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers for an undisclosed amount.[13]
In May 2021, Freddy's hired Chris Dull as CEO to take over the top post from co-founder Randy Simon.[14]
In August 2022, Freddy's hired Brian Wise as COO to take over the operations post from co-founder Scott Redler.[15]
In November of 2022, the company signed a master franchise and development agreement that will allow the brand to enter the Canadian market. The chain plans to expand across nine Canadian provinces, excluding Quebec.[16]
See also
References
- Star, Brad (August 10, 2021). "The Post-Crescent". www.postcrescent.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
The Wichita, Kansas-based chain has over 380 locations across 32 states.
- Ewen, Beth; Kaiser, Tom; Michaels, Laura; Upton, Nicholas (December 27, 2018). "Fast & Serious: 11-20". Franchise Times. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- Neil, Denise (September 1, 2017). "Freddy's at 15: Wichita-based chain worked because it didn't have to". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- Start Your Own Restaurant and More: Pizzeria, Coffeehouse, Deli, Bakery, Catering Business. StartUp Series. Entrepreneur Press. 2016. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-61308-344-4. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- "Ready for Freddy's". Arktimes.com. July 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- "Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opens". The Daily News. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- "Official Website". Archived from the original on December 21, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- Heck, Josh (March 7, 2018). "Wichita restaurant group reaches 300th location milestone". Wichita Business Journal.
- "Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers makes its Wisconsin debut". Appleton Post-Crescent. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- "Freddy's sees Appleton/Grand Chute area perfect for first Wisconsin restaurant". Appleton Post-Crescent. November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- Neil, Denise (December 19, 2016). "Freddy's Frozen Custard co-founder Bill Simon has died at age 61". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- Neil, Denise. "Freddy Simon, namesake of the Wichita-based restaurant chain Freddy's, has died at age 95". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- Coley, Ben (March 4, 2021). "Freddy's Acquired by Thompson Street Capital Partners". QSRMagazine. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- Lalley, Heather (May 6, 2021). "Freddy's Frozen Custard gets a new CEO in Chris Dull". Restaurant Business. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- Jennings, Lisa (August 9, 2022). "Freddy's promotes Brian Wise to the role of COO". Restaurant Business. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- "Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers to enter the Canadian market". Canadian Business Franchise. November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.