Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers](https://www.freddys.com/) crossed the 600-unit threshold on October 12, 2026, opening a new location in Beaufort, South Carolina — and the site itself signals where the fast-casual chain is headed next. The restaurant is an endcap, no-drive-thru build, part of a deliberate pivot toward more adaptable physical formats that can fit real estate situations a traditional freestanding pad site cannot.

The Beaufort location seats 65 guests and includes an outdoor patio. It is owned and operated by Charleston Custard, a long-standing Freddy's franchisee already active in the Southeast.

The Format Shift

The endcap prototype is central to Freddy's current growth playbook. By moving beyond the brand's historically dominant standalone model and embracing both endcap and in-line configurations, Freddy's is opening doors — literally — in denser trade areas where large pad sites are scarce or prohibitively expensive. For multi-unit operators evaluating fast-casual franchise expansion, this kind of format flexibility can be the difference between entering a priority market and sitting it out.

"Our shift towards in-line and endcap models is giving us greater flexibility in how and where we develop, creating more opportunities to bring Freddy's to communities across the country," said Chris Dull, President & CEO of Freddy's.

Growth Targets and International Moves

The brand is actively prioritizing expansion across the Northeast, Rust Belt, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Northern California, and Florida. Internationally, Freddy's recently signed a development agreement for five units in the Philippines, marking an early step into Asia-Pacific markets. The company is also recruiting single- and multi-unit franchisees across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, Freddy's built its reputation on cooked-to-order steakburgers, freshly churned frozen custard, and what the brand calls "The Freddy's Way" — a hospitality-focused operational culture it credits for sustaining franchisee interest and consumer loyalty at scale. The chain has drawn recognition from several industry benchmarks, including a No. 6 ranking on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers + Shakers and a No. 85 slot on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500.

For operators tracking fast-casual segment trends, Freddy's trajectory illustrates how heritage QSR-adjacent brands can sustain unit growth well past the 500-unit mark by rethinking the physical footprint rather than just the menu. The endcap push, combined with international ambitions and a deepening Southeast presence, suggests the chain intends to sustain double-digit annual openings for the foreseeable future.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.