Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers announced the opening of its sixth company-operated Freddy’s in Derby, Kansas. The store offers a patio and a drive thru and is located on an end cap of the newest Derby shopping complex on Rock Road. On November 9, the 30th franchised Freddy’s will open in Hays, Kansas. Freddy’s first franchised unit opened in Hutchinson, Kansas, less than five years ago in December 2004, and the franchise system has grown quickly since that time. These two openings will bring the total number of Freddy’s operating in Kansas to 11.
In September, 84-year-old co-founder Freddy Simon made a surprise visit to Littleton, Colorado, to attend the opening of that state’s first Freddy’s. The store is operated in the Denver suburb by East Range Colorado Development LLC. The developer’s second store is under construction and scheduled to open around the first of the year in Aurora, Colorado and many additional sites are on the drawing board. Also in Colorado, Freddy’s newest franchise development group, North Colorado Custard LLC, has signed a five-store agreement for an area that includes Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Loveland, and Boulder.
Bill Simon, president of Freddy’s, was pleased to announce that the company recently closed on the purchase of the real estate for its first location in the Kansas City area. “We are very excited to be entering Kansas City as our third company-operated market,” he says. “We have purchased land and are now in the permitting stage for construction of a free standing Freddy’s. It will be located near the high profile intersection of Metcalf and 135th Street South in Overland Park, Kansas, and will include a patio and a drive-thru.
“There is a great deal of awareness of our concept in Kansas City due to the existing stores which surround the market and the constant flow of traffic between the two largest cities in the state.”
Scott Redler, vice president and chief operating officer for Freddy’s, has been working with city officials to start the process. “We just finished the construction of our Derby store and are moving straight into the Overland Park location,” he says. “It is certainly exciting for us to again be building on the success of our Company store operations.”
The management team for the newest company Freddy’s was recently announced by Ben Simon, director of operations. “Long time manager Christian Coffee will move about 10 miles down Rock Road from his store in Wichita to become General Manager of the new Derby store,” he says. “He will be supported by assistant managers Alex King and Mike White. Together this management team has 14 years of experience in Freddy’s operations, making it the most tenured team to ever open a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers store, and I have full confidence in their ability to bring the Freddy’s brand of hospitality to our fans in Derby.”