The founders of Freddy’s Frozen Custard are brothers Bill and Randy Simon and their business partner Scott Redler. They opened the first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, naming it after the brothers’ father, Freddy Simon.
The name can make it sound as if Freddy himself started the company, but he was its namesake, not one of its founders. Here’s how the three partners fit into the origin story, why the restaurant bears Freddy’s name, and how a local opening grew into a recognizable restaurant brand. You’ll also find a quick timeline and answers to common questions about the company’s beginnings.
who are the founders of freddy’s frozen custard?
Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and Scott Redler founded Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The trio opened the first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002. Bill and Randy were brothers; Redler was their business partner.
The distinction matters because Freddy Simon, whose name appears on the restaurant, was not a member of the founding team. He was the father of Bill and Randy and the person the partners chose to honor. In short: three partners founded the restaurant, and a member of the Simon family inspired its name.
| Person | Connection to the restaurant | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Simon | Co-founder | One of the Simon brothers who started the restaurant with Randy and Scott Redler. |
| Randy Simon | Co-founder | Bill’s brother and a founding partner in the Wichita restaurant. |
| Scott Redler | Co-founder and business partner | Joined Bill and Randy in creating the restaurant and its early business. |
| Freddy Simon | Namesake | The brothers’ father; the restaurant was named in his honor. |
Some short descriptions name only the Simon brothers. That wording highlights the family connection, but it can leave out Redler, who is also identified as a co-founder. The clearest answer includes all three founding partners while separating Freddy’s role as the person honored by the name.
How the restaurant began in Wichita
Freddy’s began with a single restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002. Its founders created a place centered on steakburgers and frozen custard, a combination that became the brand’s defining offering. The restaurant’s full name, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, spells out those two main parts of the menu.
Opening a first restaurant is different from creating a large chain. At the beginning, the partners had to establish a recognizable menu and a consistent way to serve it. Customers needed to know what they could expect each time they visited. A focused menu and an identity tied to the founders’ family helped give the first location a clear character.
The Wichita origin is useful context when you see the brand in other states. Freddy’s did not begin as a national chain or as a frozen-custard manufacturer. It started as a local restaurant, then expanded into a broader restaurant business over time.
Why is the restaurant called Freddy’s?
The restaurant is named after Freddy Simon, the father of co-founders Bill and Randy Simon. His name gave the business a personal identity that set it apart from a generic burger-and-dessert shop. It also explains why a restaurant founded by Bill, Randy, and Redler carries the first name Freddy.
Freddy Simon is associated with the family story behind the brand. Company descriptions commonly note that he served in World War II. The founders honored him through the name, rather than naming the restaurant after one of the partners or using a description of its food alone.
A namesake and a founder are not always the same person. In this case, the distinction is straightforward: Freddy inspired the name, while his sons and Redler established the restaurant. If you are answering a trivia question or writing about the company, avoid listing Freddy as a founder unless a source specifically describes a different role.
What each founder brought to the founding team
The public account of the company’s beginnings identifies the three partners as founders, but it does not require assigning a specific job title or a precise division of work to each person. It is safer to describe their known relationship to the venture than to guess who handled every operational or financial decision.
Bill and Randy Simon
The Simon brothers brought the family connection that shaped the restaurant’s name. Their father, Freddy, was the person they chose to honor. As co-founders, Bill and Randy helped establish the original Wichita restaurant alongside Redler.
It is tempting to treat the brothers as the sole founders because their family story is central to the brand’s identity. That leaves out their business partner. Recognizing both the family connection and Redler’s founding role gives a fuller account without overstating details that are not needed to answer who started the company.
Scott Redler
Redler was a business partner in the venture and is identified as a co-founder with Bill and Randy. His inclusion matters when describing the company’s origin accurately. The founding story is not just a father-and-sons story; it also includes the partner who helped create the restaurant business.
Public summaries do not always describe each founder’s responsibilities in the same level of detail. Unless you have a reliable source for a specific title or task, use the established description: Redler co-founded the restaurant with the Simon brothers. That wording is precise and avoids turning a broad founding role into an unsupported claim.
How Freddy’s grew beyond its first restaurant
After the 2002 Wichita opening, Freddy’s expanded beyond its original location and became a multi-location restaurant brand. The growth took the business from a local launch to a chain that customers can encounter in many communities. That expansion is why questions about the founders often come up alongside questions about the restaurant’s history.
Growth does not change who founded a business. Later restaurants, franchisees, managers, and corporate owners may all contribute to the company’s development, but they are not automatically founders of the original venture. The founding answer remains Bill and Randy Simon and Scott Redler.
Expansion also makes consistency important. A restaurant chain has to keep its central identity recognizable while operating in more than one place. Freddy’s name and its pairing of steakburgers with frozen custard provide a simple way for customers to identify what the brand is known for.
What makes Freddy’s food identity distinctive?
The brand name points to two signature menu categories: steakburgers and frozen custard. A steakburger is a burger-style sandwich made with beef; the word describes the restaurant’s burger offering, not a separate founder or a different company. Frozen custard is a dense, smooth frozen dessert made with dairy ingredients, including egg yolk in the traditional style.
Frozen custard and standard ice cream are related, but the terms are not interchangeable in every context. Custard’s egg content and preparation give it a different character from many conventional ice creams. The details of a particular product depend on its recipe, so the general distinction should not be treated as a full ingredient statement.
This food identity helps explain the restaurant’s full name, but it should not distract from the founders question. The menu tells you what the business sells; the founding team tells you who started it. Keeping those two facts separate makes the company’s history easier to explain.
Freddy’s founding timeline
- Before the restaurant: Freddy Simon’s family connection became the inspiration for the business name. He was the father of Bill and Randy Simon.
- 2002: Bill and Randy Simon and Scott Redler opened the first Freddy’s restaurant in Wichita, Kansas.
- After the first opening: The restaurant business expanded beyond Wichita, developing into a multi-location brand.
This timeline sticks to the core facts behind the founding story. It does not assign unverified dates to each later stage of growth. If you need a detailed corporate history, distinguish a documented opening date from later franchise, ownership, or expansion milestones.
Common mix-ups about Freddy’s founders
- Mix-up: Freddy Simon founded the restaurant. Freddy gave the restaurant its name, but the founders were Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and Scott Redler.
- Mix-up: Only the Simon brothers founded it. The brothers are central to the family story, but Redler is also identified as a co-founder and business partner.
- Mix-up: The company began as a nationwide chain. It started with a restaurant in Wichita before expanding into additional locations.
- Mix-up: The founders’ name explains every menu detail. Freddy’s is named for Freddy Simon; the name itself does not explain the restaurant’s recipes or ingredient specifications.
The most common mistake is confusing the person honored by a company’s name with the people who created the business. A simple way to avoid that error is to describe the roles separately: Freddy Simon was the namesake, while Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and Scott Redler were the founders.
Quick answers about the founding story
Who started Freddy’s Frozen Custard?
Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and Scott Redler started Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. They opened the first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002.
Were Bill and Randy Simon brothers?
Yes. Bill and Randy Simon are brothers, and their father was Freddy Simon, the restaurant’s namesake.
Was Freddy Simon one of the founders?
No. Freddy Simon was honored in the restaurant’s name. The founding partners were his sons Bill and Randy and their business partner, Scott Redler.
Who is Scott Redler?
Scott Redler is a business partner and co-founder of the restaurant. He is part of the founding team with Bill and Randy Simon.
Where did Freddy’s open its first restaurant?
The first restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002.
What does Freddy’s serve?
The restaurant is known for steakburgers and frozen custard. Its full name, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, reflects those signature offerings.
How to state the answer accurately
For a short answer, write: “Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was founded by Bill Simon, Randy Simon, and Scott Redler in Wichita in 2002. The restaurant was named after Freddy Simon, the brothers’ father.” That gives the people, place, date, and naming connection without adding uncertain details.
If you are comparing sources, check whether a source is referring to the founders or the namesake. A brief brand description may focus on the Simon family and omit Redler, while a fuller founding account names all three partners. That difference can explain conflicting short answers without changing the core story.
For schoolwork, reporting, or a company profile, use the three-founder version and make Freddy’s role explicit. Do not infer that he managed, financed, or operated the restaurant from the fact that it bears his name. This small distinction keeps the history clear and avoids repeating a common error.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard was founded by Bill and Randy Simon and their business partner, Scott Redler. The first restaurant opened in Wichita in 2002, and its name honors Freddy Simon, the brothers’ father—not a fourth founder.
For a concise, accurate description, name all three founders and identify Freddy as the namesake. That one distinction clears up the most common confusion about the company’s origin.