Operations

Freddy's launches prototype designed for efficiency

Provided

April 13, 2023

Wichita-based Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has opened a corporate-owned location in Belleville, Illinois, featuring its latest restaurant design. Now available to prospective franchisees, the format features a standard drive-thru and an enhanced mobile pick-up window to meet the increased consumer demand for off-premise dining, according to CEO Chris Dull.

"We recognize the importance of adapting with the constant shifts in consumer preferences and making it easier for people to access Freddy's. With nearly 70% of sales being consumed off-premise, our team has been focused on developing restaurant prototypes that cater to this preferred method of dining by increasing convenience and ease of use for our guests," he said in a company press release. "The new prototype design opening in Belleville increases the convenience our guests seek by optimizing off-premise channels and not sacrificing the speed and quality that has maintained loyalty to our brand with over 20 years of history."

Standing at either 2,800 square feet or 2,400 square feet, the design comes with an enhanced kitchen layout to enable each order channel to maintain high efficiency across the operation. Order channels include Accutemp's XLR8 kitchen technology, which presses Freddy's steakburger patties into a consistent shape each time, making grill operations less physically demanding while increasing consistency for guests.

The restaurant's designated digital pickup area has a custard freezer to give quick access to mobile and delivery orders without interfering with the dine-in order queue. The back-of-house also has a transformed bagging station with a simplified, easy-to-interpret display and a shared expo counter to give the shift lead the ability to manage every aspect of the operation from one location, according to the release.

The chain has 460 locations across 36 states.