Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is testing an Everyday Value Menu across seven states, putting entry-level price points between $2.99 and $3.49 on four items designed to drive incremental traffic without cannibalizing its core menu. The limited-time test is live at participating locations in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas through drive-thru, dine-in, and digital channels including the Freddy's mobile app.
The Menu Lineup
The four items cover a range of snack and meal occasions. The Steakburger Taco — a grilled tortilla wrapped around Freddy's thin-pressed patty, American cheese, lettuce, and Jalapeño Fry Sauce — starts at $3.49, as do two-piece Chicken Tenders (served with BBQ, ranch, or honey mustard) and an all-beef Hot Dog on a toasted bun, upgradeable to a Chili Cheese Dog for an additional $1.50. The lowest price point belongs to the Chocolate Chip Custard Cookie, a frozen custard sandwich rolled in mini chocolate chips, at $2.99. Pricing may vary by location.
Operator Implications
The move reflects a broader fast-casual playbook taking shape across the industry: introduce structured value tiers that give price-conscious guests a clear entry point while preserving average check on premium items. Freddy's Chief Marketing Officer Erin Walter framed the strategy around experience as much as affordability. "Beyond price, we believe great value is about delivering the quality and experience that makes Freddy's special," Walter said. "Our Everyday Value Menu offers a variety of craveable options at approachable price points, whether Guests are stopping in for a quick bite, a satisfying snack or a sweet treat."
For franchisees, a regionally phased test like this limits execution risk while generating real-world sales data before any potential systemwide rollout. The inclusion of digital ordering — via app and freddys.com — also positions the value menu to capture off-premise occasions, a channel that continues to reshape restaurant operations and revenue mix across the fast-casual segment.
Context and Scale
Freddy's operates more than 600 locations across the United States and Canada, a footprint that gives it meaningful regional testing capacity. Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, the brand holds rankings on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers + Shakers (No. 6), Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 (No. 85), and Technomic's Top 500 (No. 60) — indicators of sustained system growth that make value-menu execution a consequential signal for competitors watching the fast-casual burger and custard category.
The test also arrives as consumers across income brackets continue to scrutinize dining costs, nudging full-service and fast-casual operators alike to develop tiered pricing architectures. Whether Freddy's Everyday Value Menu becomes a permanent fixture will likely depend on how well these lower price points influence visit frequency without compressing unit-level margins.
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.
