Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers to open its 49th store on Thursday

April 6, 20114:34 p.m.

WICHITA — These days when people open new restaurants, they often immediately talk of franchise plans, which rarely seem to materialize.

“We did the opposite,” says Randy Simon, co-owner of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. “We just wanted to build one store.”

Instead, Thursday he and his partners, his brother Bill and Scott Redler, are opening their 49th store near Maple and Ridge, which is where Randy Simon’s newest Panera Bread will open April 25.

“You know, our intention really was pretty simple,” Randy Simon says. “Just to get us a good hamburger place in Wichita.

“There wasn’t any grand scheme.”

The results are pretty grand, though.

Three more Freddy’s stores will open by the end of the month — the first in California, the third in Denver and one in a Phoenix suburb.

There are likely to be 60-some Freddy’s stores by the end of the year, and about 80 within a year and a half.

On top of it all, the original Freddy’s on 21st Street near Tyler Road had its best day in business on Saturday.

“I am just not sure what all came together in the stars to make that happen,” Simon says. “That store has surprised us at almost every step.”

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

Panera most likely coming to Derby Marketplace

Jan. 27, 20115:43 a.m.

UPDATED — The dining options continue to grow in Derby.

Panera Bread franchisee Randy Simon is in negotiations to open a Panera in front of the Dillons Marketplace at Derby Marketplace at 71st and Rock.

“It’s not a lock yet,” Simon says.

It’s close, though.

Simon and his brother, Bill, and business partner Scott Redler have a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers at Derby Marketplace.

“The Freddy’s has done very well there,” Randy Simon says.

Until now, Simon says the lack of potential daytime business concerned him. Simon always figured nights and weekends would do well, but he says Panera thrives on weekday breakfasts and lunches. He thinks there’s now enough business to support it.

If the deal happens, this would make the 32nd Panera for his Original Bread company, and it will be the first with a drive-through.

Simon wishes he could do the same at his other restaurants.

“I keep trying to figure out how I could do it at the Rock Road location.”

Look for more details as soon as the Derby deal closes.

The possibility of the new Panera pleases one fanatic in particular.

Rev. Wayne Schmid, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church, is known to drive to Wichita for Panera four or five times a week, often when he’s making hospital rounds.

Sometimes, though, it’s only for the food.

“Father Schmid’s prayers have finally been answered,” Simon says.

He says Schmid, in an effort to convince him to bring a Panera, said he’d help get the word out.

“He tells me he’ll market (it) from the podium down there,” Simon says.

Schmid admits to his addiction, but he says he’ll have to be discreet about doing anything from the pulpit.

Still, he says, “Oh, I’ll let people know.”

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

East-side Timberline Steakhouse & Grill has closed after 12 years in business

Jan. 2, 20117:58 p.m.

WICHITA — After a dozen years in business, the east-side Timberline Steakhouse & Grill has closed.

“It’s a tear-jerker,” says Scott Redler, who owned the restaurant with Bill Simon.

The west-side Timberline — the original in the chain, which opened in 1997 — will remain open.

The lease was up at the east restaurant at 8310 E. 21st St.

“It wasn’t worth renewing a lease and continuing,” Redler says.

“We were doing very, very well on the weekend,” he says. On weekdays, though, Redler found that people didn’t want to spend the average ticket price of $16 or $17.

“The reality is when you look at this segment of dining . . . the higher the check average, the more challenging it’s been.”

Redler points to similar restaurants, such as Lone Star Steakhouse, which he says has closed about half its restaurants in the last five years.

Redler says people’s incomes don’t make a difference in what they’re willing to spend for meals these days.

“Everybody watches what they spend more carefully now because of current economic situations,” he says.

That has hurt Timberline but helped Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which Redler and Simon own with Simon’s brother, Randy.

“What I like to say (is) just because the economy’s bad doesn’t mean people learned how to cook,” Redler says.

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

Latest Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Panera Bread to open in mid-February

Dec. 14, 201010:15 a.m.

WICHITA — Construction is coming along at the Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Panera Bread at the southeast corner of Ridge Road and University (between Maple and Kellogg) across from Lowe’s.

“We’re skin tight,” says Randy Simon.

That’s what business partner Scott Redler told him Friday, which Simon understands to mean the frame is up along with a layer of insulation, among other developments.

“I’m not much of a construction guy as you can tell.”

Simon says the partners recently purchased another nearby house.

“When we got to looking at it, it just looked like we could stand a little extra parking — we hope. We hope the volume’s good enough that it will warrant it.”

Look for the restaurants to open in mid-February.

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Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Panera Bread coming to Ridge Road and University

May 12, 20105:31 p.m.

WICHITA — Scott Redler has been searching for additional west-side space for Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers for years.

His business partner, Randy Simon, has been looking for space for a second west-side Panera Bread.

Now, they’ve found what they need in the same spot.

Redler and Simon finalized a deal today to buy land owned by Leisa Lowry to build at the southeast corner of Ridge Road and University (between Maple and Kellogg) across from Lowe’s.

“We were very fortunate to get this location,” Redler says.

Christian Ablah of Classic Real Estate handled the deal.

Simon had a letter of intent with Ablah five years ago for space near there, but it didn’t work out.

“I’ve always had that area as a priority for us,” Simon says.

He and Redler like that the property is in the heart of a residential area with strong businesses nearby, too. Accessibility to Kellogg was key as well.

The almost 4,300-square-foot Panera will share a wall with the 3,200-square-foot Freddy’s.

“It’ll be conjoined at the hip,” Simon says.

Construction will start soon and the restaurants should be ready to open in about 150 days.

The Freddy’s on 21st near Tyler, which opened in 2002, is the original Freddy’s.

“That restaurant is amazing for us,” Redler says, “and just keeps getting busier and busier.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Real estate, Restaurants | Comments