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Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers facts for kids
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A Freddy's in Cartersville, Georgia
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | fast-casual |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | 260 N. Rock Road Wichita, Kansas United States |
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Number of locations
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450 (2021) |
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Area served
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35 states (January 2022) |
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Key people
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Chris Dull, CEO, President & Co-Founder Scott Redler, COO & Co-Founder Freddy Simon, Co-Founder |
| Products | Steakburgers, hot dogs, french fries, frozen custard, milkshakes, soft drinks |
| Revenue |  US$ 534 million (December 2019) |
| Owner | Thompson Street Capital Partners |
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Number of employees
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9,751 (2021) |
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, or simply Freddy's, is an American fast-casual restaurant chain based in Wichita, Kansas. Its menu includes steakburgers, Vienna Beef hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches. The company also provides frozen custard and specialty sundaes
History
Freddy's was founded by co-founders Fredrick "Freddy" L. Simon, Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and restaurateur Scott Redler.
Freddy was a World War II Veteran who lived in Wichita, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army infantry in 1943 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. He was awarded the Purple Heart due sustained injuries, as well as a Bronze Star for Valor.
Freddy worked for the same company in the hospitality industry for 55 years, building connections with many restauranteurs. He was a friend and trusted business partner to a restaurant in 2002 called Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
The restaurant started out as a family owned burger joint in Wichita. Freddy's gained a large fanbase within its first year of opening, which helped to open more locations in 2004. The food was based on meals that Freddy had served his own family, and was considered an 'All American' meal. The setting of the restaurant is fast-casual dining in the late 1940s and early 1950s and evokes "a post-war era of optimism, pride, and values focusing on unity and quality family time".
On December 17, 2016, Bill Simon, cofounder and son of Freddy Simon died at the age of 61. Freddy died at the age of 95 on October 25, 2020.
Locations
The company, founded in Wichita in 2002, opened its first location on August 26 of that year near the intersection of 21st Street and Tyler Road. This location is still open today.
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, and nearly three years later its 300th location in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2018.
The state with the most Freddy's locations to date is Texas, with 73 restaurants.
In 2022 it was announced that Freddy's would be expanding their locations to nine provinces in Canada.
As of October 30, 2023, Freddy's has more than 493 locations across 37 states and 375 cities. In 2023, Freddy's opened 62 new locations, a record for the company, including its first restaurant within a Major League Baseball stadium at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium.
News
In March 2021, private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partner purchased Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers for an undisclosed amount.
In May 2021, Freddy's hired Chris Dull as CEO to take over the top post from co-founder Randy Simon.
In August 2022, Freddy's hired Brian Wise as COO to take over the operations post from co-founder Scott Redler.
In November 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.