Scott Redler is a partner in the Traqueros restaurant opening in Overland Park

Feb. 18, 20135:48 p.m.

WICHITA — What’s a man who oversees a chain of almost 90 restaurants do to kick-start his culinary creativity?

Start a new restaurant, of course.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers COO Scott Redler is a partner in the new Traqueros, a Mexican restaurant that’s opening next month at 11831 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

“I’m involved from a conceptual point of view … but not from an operational standpoint,” Redler says.

“It’s a quick-casual concept,” he says. “Everything will be cooked to order. … It’s a Mexican restaurant with the same service style as a Pei Wei.”

His partners include Dave Dreiling and Bud and Bobby Cox.

They’re known for such Manhattan-based restaurants as CoCo Bolos, Cox Bros. BBQ, Ingredient and Local.

Dreiling’s company, HCI Hospitality, will manage Traqueros.

Redler says his Freddy’s partners, Randy and Bill Simon, are fine with him being involved in another concept.

“They want me to keep getting creative. That’s part of my role,” Redler says. “This helps me just kind of reenergize and just understand everything else going on in the market.”

He adds, “Even some things I’ve done in Traqueros … have helped us with some of our decisions for Freddy’s.”

Redler isn’t involved with creating recipes, but he says, “I am involved in the tastings, so that’s fun.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Filed under Manhattan, New business, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments Off

Panera Bread isn’t coming to Andover yet

Nov. 20, 20126:37 a.m.

WICHITA — Andover residents often wish for more restaurants in their backyard, and Panera Bread is tops on that list for some.

Is there a chance it’ll happen?

“I suspect it’ll be as soon as they have a daytime population,” says Panera franchisee Randy Simon.

Simon says a Panera needs to see 800 people a day “in order to be economical at all.”

“If you go into areas that don’t have much daytime population, it is very difficult to try to survive.”

The problem with Andover, Simon says, is so many residents drive to Wichita for work.

“We do 85 percent of our business between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.,” Simon says.

Andover residents shouldn’t give up hope, though.

“I continue to talk to people out there,” Simon says.

Simon is working with his Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers partners — his brother, Bill, and Scott Redler — on two new Kansas City area restaurants.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Andover, Kansas City, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments Off

You don’t say

Aug. 27, 20122:22 p.m.

“I figured we’d all be dead or in jail.”

– Robin Siefkin of ACM Removal on high school buddies Randy and Bill Simon of Freddy’s and how they’ve all managed to “become fruitful citizens” and “pay a lot of taxes”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under You don't say | Comments Off

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is getting a new corporate office

Aug. 27, 20125:00 a.m.

WICHITA — Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is getting a new corporate office at 260 N. Rock Road, which is conveniently located across the parking lot from the Freddy’s restaurant at 310 N. Rock Road.
“I obviously was cheering for this one,” says Freddy’s partner Randy Simon, whose Panera Bread office shares the same lot as well.

The Freddy’s partners, who include Scott Redler and Simon’s brother Bill, have been leasing about 3,500 square feet at 1445 N. Rock Road.

Now, they own the 18,000-square-foot building at 260 N. Rock Road, of which they’ll use 6,000 square feet on the upper level.

“With our expansions – we just opened our 74th restaurant – and in our current location we’re busting at the seams,” Redler says.

The chain’s 75th restaurant opens this week. There are eight corporate stores out of the 75. The rest are franchises.

Redler says they want to make sure to keep ahead on resources for franchisees. The company has six franchise business coaches and is looking to add a couple of more.

“We just want to have the right space to do it right,” he says.

Remodeling will start in a month. The new space should be ready to move into by the end of the year.
“This should cover us for a lot of years,” Redler says.

Another 15 to 18 Freddy’s restaurants will open this year. That includes a third one in Kansas City at the end of September near West 119th Street and Blackbob. Three more Kansas City area restaurants are in various stages of development, including one near West 107th Street and Roe Avenue in Overland Park that also should open by the end of the year.

Redler says there likely will be a celebration to mark the 100th restaurant, but there’s not one for the 75th this week.

“It’s just kind of another day.”

 

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off

You don’t say

April 9, 20125:17 p.m.

“I finally passed by Chic Fil A and there were only a half a dozen cars in the drive. Of course it was Sunday and they were closed.”

– An e-mail from Randy Simon, who owns a Freddy’s and Panera on Rock Road, on the always-crowded new Chick-fil-A at Central and Rock

 

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Original Timberline Steakhouse & Grill closes after 14 years in business

Aug. 29, 20115:07 a.m.

UPDATED — It was just a matter of time.

Eight months after the east-side Timberline Steakhouse & Grill closed, so has its sister restaurant on the west side.

“It was a very difficult decision that we needed to make,” says Scott Redler, who owned the chain with Bill Simon.

“We’re looking at this as a celebration of 14 great years of business for Timberline . . . and appreciate everyone involved.”

The Timberline near 21st and Tyler was Redler and Simon’s first in the chain, which had seven restaurants in six cities over the years.

There’s one Timberline left.

Salina licensee JRI Investments owns that restaurant and has purchased the concept with plans to open more Timberlines.

“You know, we had an opportunity to sell, and it just seemed to make sense,” Redler says.

He and Simon plan to continue to focus on Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which they run with Simon’s brother, Randy, who also is a Panera Bread franchisee.

Redler says Freddy’s average ticket of about $6.50 makes a lot more sense than Timberline’s $17 average.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Closings, Real estate, Restaurants, West side | Comments Off

Construction set to begin on Panera Bread, Olive Garden and Papa Murphy’s at Derby Marketplace

June 21, 20116:16 a.m.

WICHITA — It was back in January that Have You Heard? first reported that Panera Bread franchisee Randy Simon was in negotiations to open a Panera in front of the Dillons Marketplace at Derby Marketplace at 71st and Rock Road.

The Derby City Council approved the deal last week, and construction is set to begin.

Simon plans a fall opening for the restaurant, which will have a drive-through. This is the 32nd cafe for his Original Bread and the first to feature a drive-through.

Later this month, Simon says he plans to finalize a deal in Sedalia, Mo., for another Panera with a drive-through. That’s also where a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee plans a Freddy’s next door.

The Panera that opened earlier this year on Ridge Road next to the Freddy’s that Simon co-owns had the highest volume opening of all of Simon’s Wichita Paneras.

Back in Derby, there are a couple of other new restaurants that will open near the new Panera.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Filed under Derby, Derby Marketplace, Restaurants, Retail | Comments Off

You don’t say

June 20, 20114:51 p.m.

“But we’re sure looking forward to eating steakburgers for dinner tonight.”

— Restaurateur Randy Simon on how Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers representatives were happy to play in and donate to the Ronald McDonald charity golf tournament today but have plans to eat dinner at their own place instead

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under Restaurants, You don't say | Comments Off

Green Zebra Concierge owner Kyle Gerstner to become Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee

May 11, 20116:03 p.m.

WICHITA — Green Zebra Concierge owner Kyle Gerstner has contemplated becoming a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers franchisee for years, and now he’s doing it.

“I watched and saw how they grew,” Gerstner says of the business that Scott Redler and brothers Randy and Bill Simon started.

He’s known them for years.

“Just being around those guys and kind of understanding it” led to his decision, Gerstner says.

He’s working on a lease in Colorado Springs. He has a four-store deal there.

“It’s just a great opportunity,” Gerstner says. “We’re kind of already eyeing other markets around the country.”

He’s not likely to open — or leave Wichita — for six months to a year.

Gerstner is in the process of selling his businesses here, which include Green Zebra, which he’s selling off customer by customer, Green Zebra Valet Parking and Nutrition Kitchen.

Once Gerstner establishes himself with Freddy’s, he doesn’t anticipate standing behind the counter taking burger and custard orders much.

He wants to be more entrepreneurial, like Redler and the Simons.

“That’s, obviously, the goal.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under New business, Restaurants | Comments Off

Panera Bread opens near Maple and Ridge

April 21, 201111:08 a.m.

WICHITA — Randy Simon’s fourth Wichita Panera Bread store opened today next to the new Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers near Maple and Ridge.

When Simon opened his first Panera here in 1995 — back when it was still St. Louis Bread Co. — it was the 37th in the chain.

He had four of the chain’s first 40 stores.

“Which is kind of fun to look back and see how long it’s been going on for us,” Simon says.

With his new Panera, he says, “We’re somewhere in the upper 1,400s.

“They’re opening them pretty rapidly these days.”

And they’re doing well.

“It’s one of the two or three systems that seems to be holding up well,” Simon says of surviving tough times.

He’s still working on a Derby Panera at Derby Marketplace.

“We think that one’s going to open yet this year,” Simon says. “We have a few things we’re still trying to get ironed out.”

And for the more distant future, Simon is looking at Wichita’s south side.

He doesn’t like to open too many restaurants at once, though, so restaurant-starved southsiders shouldn’t get too excited just yet.

However, there’s hope.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Derby, Restaurants, West side | Comments Off