Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a fast-casual restaurant chain with a
number of distinct offerings on its menu. Not only does Freddy's have great food,
but this relatively new franchise has a loyal fan
base of FredHeads willing to wait in unbelievably long lines. Here's why.
The first Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers store opened in August of 2002
at the southwest corner of 21st Street and Tyler Road in northwest Wichita, Kansas. Since then, the
company has grown to more than 380 locations in the United States, not to mention three in Dubai.
Two brothers, Bill Simon and Randy Simon, along with Bill's business partner Scott Redler,
set out to open a simple, single restaurant that served food reminiscent of their
childhood — which, in their minds, just means high-quality ingredients.
When the Simon brothers and Redler were kicking around names, Freddy's was always
one of their top choices. The alliteration of Freddy's and frozen was one reason,
but it would also be naming the eatery after the brothers' father, Freddy Simon.
Freddy himself was a former wholesale liquor company employee who was raised
on a farm in Kansas and earned a purple heart serving in World War 2.
The name stuck, and it's his face that decorates Freddy's locations nationwide.
"This has been a lifelong dream of mine to have a hamburger joint."
For some, sauce is for the main dish, the main appeal of a burger, or possibly the only reason
for ordering chicken tenders. For others, all sauce is reserved for the fries: barbecue sauce,
ranch, ketchup, or even mayonnaise. And for many, the ketchup and mayonnaise
mixed together — which has actually been dubbed fry sauce — is the only way to go.
It's said that fry sauce was invented in the Salt Lake City area in the 1940s
by Don Carlos Edwards. He ran a barbecue joint that served the pink-orange sauce,
which later became the first location of the fast-food chain known as Arctic
Circle Restaurants. For many fans of that chain, the fry sauce is the main appeal.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers knows this, so it designed Freddy's Famous Fry Sauce. It is,
of course, a secret recipe, but it's said to be a mayonnaise and ketchup mix with a little pickle
juice and Freddy's special seasoning thrown in. This sauce is such a hit that 18-ounce
canisters of the stuff are available online and in grocery stores, along with a jalapeño version.
Freddy's fry culture is already pretty famous. The shoestring fries — those ultra-thin,
piping hot, and generously salted starchy strands — are a favorite
among fast-food enthusiasts. They are, as you would imagine,
seasoned with Freddy's Famous Fry Seasoning. But even with all that, the fry sauce is a must-dip.
The Incredible Hulk from Taco Bell. The Burritodilla from Chipotle. The Pizza Sub
Melt from Subway. These are all outstanding secret menu items found at fast-casual eateries across
the country. And yes, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has secret menu items, too.
According to The Wichita Eagle, there's the burger dog secret menu item, which is a classic
Freddy's steakburger topped with one of its Vienna hot dogs. There's also a BLT sandwich
and a Nutter Butter frozen custard "concrete," which was apparently invented by an employee.
But Freddy's isn't extremely quiet about custom menu items. The chain even recommends a few via
the FredHead Feed, including a chili steakburger and barbecue steakburger.
To appease carb-conscious customers, Freddy's also offers all steakburgers and chicken
sandwiches as lettuce wraps upon request. And to take it one step further, you can
order a side or entree salad, which customers in the know usually top with grilled chicken,
bacon, tomatoes, onions, and shredded cheese.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers famously originated in Wichita, Kansas. The original store,
or simply the Wichita West location, still stands and is as busy as ever.
While Freddy's is certainly a success story in its own right,
Kansas's largest town is in no way unfamiliar with successful restaurant chains cropping up out of
its cityscape. Several other incredibly famous fast-food franchises have emerged from Wichita,
such as the 1958-established Pizza Hut — also founded by two brothers. In fact,
the Simon brothers were Pizza Hut franchisees before starting Freddy's.
Another popular chain founded in Wichita is Taco Tico. And of course,
who could forget White Castle — the famous fast-food chain known for its sliders.
Is it something in the water? Does growing up in Wichita make people want to open restaurants?
Whatever it is, we're grateful for this city and all the deliciousness it's brought into the world.
Though there were originally three co-founders of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers,
only two still remain. Unfortunately, Bill Simon, one of the chain's founders,
died on December 17, 2016. He died from complications of cancer at the age of 61.
According to The Wichita Eagle, even though Bill studied accounting at Kansas State University
and worked as a CPA after graduating in 1978, he had a lot of experience in the food service
industry. He was the vice-president of Comcoa, a franchisee of a few Pizza Hut locations,
and was a partner in seven Timberline Steakhouse locations. This was all,
of course, before Bill helped open the first Freddy's in northwest Wichita in 2002.
As a nod to his entrepreneurial spirit, in late 2018 the Bill Simon Memorial
Scholarship Foundation was launched in his honor. The fellowship is designed
for Freddy's staff members who want to pursue post-secondary or vocational program degrees.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers continues under the leadership of
Randy Simon, Bill's brother, and business partner, Scott Redler.
The Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchise has ballooned to nearly 400
locations since its first restaurant was established in Kansas in 2002.
On a November day in 2016, Freddy's even opened five locations in a 24-hour span,
one of which was the 50th restaurant to open that year.
Despite its rocketing success, Freddy's remains slightly under
the radar. This is because its method is pretty much the opposite of Shake Shack's,
which expanded from its original New York location with fanfare, press releases,
campaigns, and more. Instead, Freddy's appears to be letting the food speak for itself.
All this quiet dignity most likely stems from the fact that the three
original founders only ever planned to open the one location in Wichita.
Nor is the Freddy's team a bunch of product pushers. In a 2020 Forbes interview,
Randy Simon was asked about the intention behind offering steakburgers in a climate
where Americans are moving toward more balanced diets. He simply replied,
"We've never suggested that anyone choose Freddy's as a steady diet every day."
"If you're gonna be bad, it better be good"
Let's continue with the theme of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers as one of the
more humble multi-franchised fast-food chains in the United States. If this concept is not as easy
to swallow as its signature turtle sundae, may we present exhibit A: Freddy's social media presence.
One notable aspect of Freddy's is its in-person customer service,
which is over-the-top friendly. This seems to translate to the chain's Twitter feed as
well as its Facebook timeline and Instagram posts. The majority of
its social media content across platforms is from customers, down to the simplest retweet.
Postings are mostly photos of food: close-ups of the shoestring fries, a hot dog basket,
a to-go custard. These are usually shot from either a Freddy's location, inside the car
immediately post drive-thru, or splayed across the dining room table at home. Each image credits
the social media handle of whichever FredHead took the picture. And there's a special subset
of pet-friendly postings — often photos of dogs enjoying a hashtag "pupcup" of frozen custard.
These posts are frequent, seemingly genuine, and marked with a wide array of hashtags.
There's hashtag "FreddysDriveThru," hashtag "ILoveFreddys," hashtag "FreddysWorthIt," and
hashtag "FreddysAtHome," just to name a few. If you want your 15 minutes of social media fame,
snap a colorful shot at Freddy's and tag them — there's a good chance you'll be featured.
In addition to its expansive menu,
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has a wide array of merchandise.
And we mean it when we say the online store alone is serious.
It goes well beyond gift cards, hats, and T-shirts, though it has plenty of those as well.
For instance, there are Freddy's scarves and pom-pom beanies. But
there are also Freddy's dress socks, a Freddy's flannel plush blanket,
sunglasses sporting the Freddy's logo on the arm, a Freddy's backpack designed for
a laptop and other electronic cargo, and a sheet of six Freddy's temporary tattoos.
There's even a golf hat clip with a Freddy's logo and Freddy's shoelaces.
Basically, if you're a huge fan of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
and you want everyone to know it, the company website has you more than covered.
Though they don't roam far and wide across the country,
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers does have food trucks. That is, it does in two cities.
Naturally, a Freddy's food truck exists in Wichita — the home base for the company's
otherwise immobile eateries. According to co-founder Scott Redler, the food trailer
was launched with the intention of either joining food truck events or as a treat to companies with
more than, quote, "500 employees [who] want to get everyone started off on a great weekend."
Everything on the Freddy's menu is apparently available for catering: steakburgers, custard,
hot dogs, you name it. The truck, on the other hand, serves from a more streamlined menu.
Those hoping to keep tabs on the Freddy's food truck may check out its dedicated Facebook page.
If you're interested in more Freddy's on the go, Houston acts as host to
another food truck. The mobile steakburger slinger makes appearances at breweries,
weddings, graduations, school events, and more. Again, to keep up with the
Houston-area Freddy's food truck, fans can visit its Facebook page.
The staff at Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers have made the news on multiple
occasions. At least one of those times was for going above and beyond to do what was right.
Once, 17-year-old Kayla Blackmon discovered $1,600 while sweeping the floors of a San
Antonio Freddy's in 2013. Many might expect a teen to pocket a discovery like that,
but not Blackmon. After spooling through the surveillance tapes with a manager — a task that
likely took quite a long time — they located the rightful owner. He had apparently lost the
family Christmas vacation cash while grabbing a meal at Freddy's. The relieved customer peeled
off $100 for Blackmon, who got an additional $100 bonus from her Freddy's manager to boot.
Apparently, Freddy's is all about taking care of their own and rewarding good deeds.
We can all get on board with that.
"At Freddy's we make big things happen."
A more recent news story involving an employee of Freddy's Frozen
Custard & Steakburgers is a little more serious.
In June of 2020, NPR reported on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation
that instead of carpooling or using public transit, citizens travel alone by car as a
way to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But what, NPR asked, if you didn't have a car?
The story briefly covered Jamila Allen, a Freddy's employee in Durham, North Carolina,
who had an hour-plus bus commute to her job. At Freddy's, she was behind a counter separated from
customers, but on the bus, she was much more at risk, even with a mask and social distancing.
Allen said that if she were paid $15 an hour versus her $9.35 hourly wage,
she could have afforded a personal vehicle for safer travel. She joined other fast-food
workers in a movement known as Fight for $15, which called attention to low fast food wages.
Speaking of the 2020 pandemic, it didn't seem to slow progress at Freddy's Frozen
Custard & Steakburgers. The fast-casual eatery was already on a hot streak,
seeing record-breaking success in 2019 sales systemwide.
In a March 2020 interview with Forbes, co-founder Randy Simon said that sales weren't affected by
the coronavirus till mid-March. Regardless, he felt there would be an overall, quote, "negligible
impact" to the chain. He did expect to see falling sales for the short term, but he predicted that
the company would make a strong return. He said Freddy's was already planning to end the year
with 40 additional locations, which were already underway and being constructed. He told Forbes,
"Coronavirus aside, we'll see continued growth of opening 40 to 45 restaurants a year."
Thanks to loyal FredHeads, the pandemic wasn't enough to keep this fast-growing chain down.
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