Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers announced today that Randy Simon was named CEO & President of the company he co-founded more than 15 years ago with his brother Bill, father Freddy, and business partner Scott Redler.
“I have enjoyed the past 15 years of our formation and growth and I’m thrilled that I am now in the position to devote even more of my time to Freddy’s,” Simon remarked. “Completing the sale and transfer of our 34 Panera locations this summer has freed me from the responsibilities that I was entrusted with by my Panera partners. I will now be able to focus singularly on the future of Freddy’s as we move into the next chapter.”
Simon brings a long and accomplished history in the restaurant industry. A CPA, Simon graduated from Wichita State University and initially gained experience in public accounting. In 1974, he partnered with Howard Wilkins to form Maverick Development Company and launch a Pizza Hut franchise that grew to 42 locations in Texas and New Mexico. Ten years later, Simon assumed the role President and Chairman of the Board until the sale of this entity in 2007. Maverick also developed and sold more than 30 Rent-A-Center locations in the Chicago area between 1985 and 1992. At that time, Maverick turned its attention to Panera, jumping in as the second franchise group of the fledgling concept and participating in its record-setting nationwide growth with locations throughout Kansas and Missouri. In July, Flynn Restaurant Group closed on the purchase of Maverick’s Panera Cafes where Simon was serving as President and Chairman of the Board.
“Over the past couple of months, I’ve enjoyed increased exposure to our Freddy’s support team and franchise family,” Simon said. “They’ve provided me time to transition out of the last 24 years in the Panera business and the space to patch the holes left from the loss of Freddy’s original CEO and my brother Bill, who passed away last December. Bill really loved Freddy’s. He had a profound ability to turn challenges into advancement opportunities. He left us in a great position and we are going to build on the foundation he worked so hard to create.”
Freddy’s opened its first location in Wichita, Kan., offering a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, Chicago dogs, and other savory items along with its signature desserts prepared with premium frozen custard churned fresh throughout the day. Today, 274 Freddy’s restaurants serve a total of 30 states across the nation from California to Pennsylvania, Virginia and down the east coast states to Florida. In 2017, Freddy’s has been named for a fifth time to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list (ranked #41), and has, for the fourth year in a row, been included as one of the top 10 on Franchise Times magazine’s Fast & Serious list. Other notable accomplishments include several consecutive years on Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 list of “Fastest-Growing Private Companies,” a feature on Consumer Reports’ lists of best burgers, cleanest fast-food restaurants and those with the best service last published in 2014, and first-place winner of many local newspaper readers’ choice categories throughout the U.S. including Best Burger, Best Fries, Best Hot Dog and Best Dessert. For more on Freddy’s, visit the Newsroom, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.
