How Freddy’s plans to become one of the biggest burger concepts

If you haven’t heard of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, be patient.

“You will soon,” said CEO Chris Dull.

The 20-year-old, Wichita-Kansas-based brand currently has about 460 restaurants across 36 states and Dull believes over 3,000 units is possible. In a recent interview, Dull, who came on board two years ago, talked about all the ways Freddy’s is expanding, and doing so with no end in sight.

“When I came on, we had less than 50 operating groups with 380 restaurants and today we have a little over 60 for 460 units. All of this – our product, passion and culture – starts with them,” he said in a recent interview. “Close behind is the excellence of the product – made-to-order burgers, customized for each guest.”

The better burger space may seem somewhat saturated, but plenty of opportunity remains. The market size of the burger category, for instance, has increased by 5.1% per year on average since 2018, according to IBISWorld data, with more growth expected this year. Dull said Freddy’s competitive advantage comes from its operational execution – speed, accuracy, cleanliness. Further, Freddy’s ranks No. 1 in the fast casual category for customer service, according to a Newsweek and Statista survey.

Read more: Nation's Restaurant News