Freddy’s Announces New Chief Development Officer and Expansion of Franchise Development Executive Team

WICHITA, Kan. – Fast-casual restaurant concept Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers®, announced today the addition of multiple new members joining the development team, which will be led by Andrew Thengvall, who was recently appointed to Chief Development Officer. For the last six years, Thengvall has served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth & Chief Legal Officer. In his new role, he will oversee the company’s most recent additions including Mary Coots, Director of Franchise Development, and Todd Phelps, Director of Franchise Real Estate.

“Andrew Thengvall’s dedication to advising and strengthening the Freddy’s brand has been stellar and we have the utmost trust in his ability to continue to accelerate our franchise growth in this expanded position,” said Chris Dull, CEO.  “We are thrilled that he has taken on this new role and excited to see him lead this skilled and enthusiastic team of experts to capitalize on our opportunities for expansion, as one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country.”

Upon joining Freddy’s in 2015, Thengvall brought more than 10 years of legal experience, followed by the more than six years of experience he has gained at the company in the area of Strategic Franchise Growth. Mary Coots, who joined the Freddy’s team in May of 2021, most recently served as Senior Franchise Sales Manager at Global Franchise Group. Todd Phelps joined the Freddy’s team in June 2021 and his past experience includes Real Estate Director at The Wendy’s Company as well as Real Estate Manager positions at RetailCorridor.com, Great Clips, and GolfTEC.

“I’m very excited to welcome Mary and Todd to our team and look forward to the new ideas and expertise they will bring to the brand’s franchise development strategy,” said Andrew Thengvall, Chief Development Officer. “In the midst of such an exciting period of growth for Freddy’s, their combined wealth of franchise sales and real estate experience will be a valuable asset as we define our growth plans and decisions. I look forward to leading this team as we accelerate Freddy’s momentum and drive the concept’s footprint throughout markets nationwide.”

These investments in the company’s development leadership team are fueled by Freddy’s continued surge in franchise growth and ongoing success systemwide. Thengvall’s team will be responsible for establishing market prioritization, franchise sales, DMA management, identifying prospective new franchisees, and coaching prospects through the discovery process. Together, the group brings over three decades of franchise experience combined, in addition to Thengvall’s 10+ years of legal experience.

Franchise opportunities remain in areas across the U.S., including the Northeast, Upper Midwest, California, Florida, Oregon, and Washington and large metro areas such as Pittsburgh and many of its surrounding markets. For more information about development opportunities, contact Mary Coots, Director of Franchise Development, at [email protected] or 316-719-7854, or visit https://freddysfranchising.com.

About Freddy’s

Co-founded in 2002 by Scott Redler and Bill, Randy and Freddy Simon, Freddy’s opened its first location in Wichita, Kansas, offering a unique combination of cooked-to-order Steakburgers seasoned with Freddy’s Famous Steakburger & Fry Seasoning®, Vienna® Beef hot dogs, shoestring fries paired with Freddy’s Famous Fry Sauce® and frozen custard that is freshly churned throughout the day. The brand was acquired by private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners in March of 2021. Today, Freddy’s has grown to more than 400 locations that serve 32 states across the nation from California to Pennsylvania, Virginia, down the East Coast states to Florida. Freddy’s has been named No. 1 on Forbes Best Franchises to Buy, The 2021 Restaurant Business 10 Fastest Growing Chains in the U.S. List, Entrepreneur’s 2021 Franchise 500 top 100, Franchise Times magazine’s 2020 Fast & Serious top 40 and many other nationwide and local industry awards. For more on Freddy’s, visit the Newsroom and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news. 

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