You know that sinking feeling when you open a to-go bag and your frozen custard has turned into a milky puddle? Restaurants are fighting this battle more often than ever, as nearly 70 percent of orders for Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers now happen off-premises. Sales are strong, digital ordering is exploding, and refrigeration has been around for centuries—but keeping frozen treats actually frozen is still one of the trickier challenges in modern foodservice.
That’s why Freddy’s has quietly built a custom custard freezer into its digital pickup area. The unit may not look revolutionary, but it solves a very real operational problem: how to keep pickup and delivery custard orders perfectly chilled without slowing dine-in service or overcomplicating the kitchen flow.
Developed at its Belville, Ill., location, this freezer highlights Freddy’s commitment to off-premises design. The Bellville store is Freddy’s testing ground for brand innovation. The store design includes a dedicated mobile pickup window, a standard drive-thru, and a reengineered kitchen that gives equal priority to dine-in, drive-thru, and digital orders. Equipment layout is optimized to create a shared expo counter and simplified bagging station with easy-to-read digital displays. With this setup, the shift leader can oversee every order from every channel at once.
Freddy’s dedicated custard freezer is at the forefront of these modern restaurant enhancements. As off-premises orders have surged nationwide, operators must reimagine and optimize every square inch of restaurant space.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s Off-Premises Restaurant Trends 2025 report, nearly half of U.S. adults order takeout at least once a week. For restaurants like Freddy’s—known for freshly churned frozen custard and made-to-order steakburgers—that means adapting to new diner preferences without compromising quality.
The custard freezer is one piece of a broader strategy. In 2022, Freddy’s rolled out an updated mobile app and loyalty program, allowing customers to order ahead, schedule pickup or delivery, and earn rewards. The app syncs seamlessly with the new restaurant design for faster handoffs and fewer order bottlenecks. Together, the digital platform and physical redesign give guests the same great experience, balancing speed and hospitality.
The company operates more than 550 locations across 36 states, with more than 130 new locations in development over 2025 and 2026. As Freddy’s expands, the brand is gathering operational data from the Bellville restaurant to refine layouts and equipment for franchisees nationwide.
