how long has andy’s frozen custard been around: Since 1986
The answer to “how long has andy’s frozen custard been around” is: the brand dates to 1986, when its first shop opened in Osage Beach, Missouri. That gives Andy’s Frozen Custard nearly four decades of history by 2025, and 40 years in 2026.
Here’s what that founding date tells you, how the family business grew, and what sets frozen custard apart from ordinary ice cream. You’ll also find ways to check a location’s opening date and avoid confusing the company’s age with the history of the dessert itself.
how long has andy’s frozen custard been around?
Andy’s Frozen Custard has been around since 1986. Its first shop opened in Osage Beach, Missouri, beginning a business that grew from a single local stand into a recognizable frozen-custard chain.
The date makes the age simple to calculate: the company was 39 years old in 2025 and reaches its 40th anniversary in 2026. That is the age of the brand, not the age of frozen custard as a dessert, which has a much longer history.
Andy’s is a family-founded business associated with the Kuntz family. The shop was named for Andy Kuntz, the founders’ son. Its original location in the Lake of the Ozarks area is the starting point for the company’s story, even though the brand now serves customers well beyond that Missouri community.
If you need an exact anniversary date, rather than the founding year, be cautious: the widely reported milestone is 1986, and an opening day or month may not be consistently given in general brand histories. The year is the reliable answer for most searches about how long the chain has existed.
How the first shop became a regional chain
Andy’s began as a single frozen-custard shop in Osage Beach. The business grew over time by opening additional locations and bringing its dessert-focused format to more communities. The central idea remained straightforward: serve frozen custard and related treats in a quick-service setting.
That growth did not happen all at once. A first location gives a business a starting point, but building a chain takes years of operating experience, repeat customers, and the ability to establish shops in new areas. Andy’s expansion from its Missouri origins is best understood as a gradual company history, rather than a sudden nationwide launch.
The brand is especially associated with the Midwest and the southern and central United States, although its footprint has extended beyond its home state. Individual markets may have different numbers of shops at different times, so a current location count can quickly become outdated. The important historical point is that the company began in Missouri in 1986 and expanded from there.
A simple timeline
- 1986: The first Andy’s Frozen Custard shop opens in Osage Beach, Missouri.
- Following years: The family business adds locations and builds recognition in additional communities.
- As the chain expands: Customers encounter the brand in more states, while local shops continue to serve their own communities.
- 2026: The founding year marks 40 years since the company began.
This timeline separates confirmed milestones from details that can vary. It gives you the firm founding year without suggesting that every location opened at the same time or that every store has the same local history.
What makes frozen custard different from ice cream?
Frozen custard is a frozen dairy dessert made with egg yolk. That ingredient distinguishes it from standard ice cream, which does not have the same defining requirement. Custard is also commonly churned with less air than many commercial ice creams, giving it a dense, smooth texture.
These differences help explain why a serving of custard can feel richer and more substantial than a similarly sized serving of airy ice cream. The exact texture still depends on the recipe, equipment, and how the dessert is served. A brand’s name tells you the type of dessert it specializes in, but it does not, by itself, provide every detail of the recipe.
Frozen custard is not the same thing as soft-serve, although both may be dispensed from machines and served in a soft, freshly made form. Soft-serve describes a way of serving a frozen dessert; custard refers to a dessert style with egg yolk as a defining ingredient. A product can have a soft texture without being frozen custard.
| Dessert | Typical distinction | Texture you may notice | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen custard | Made with egg yolk; often churned with less air than many commercial ice creams | Dense, creamy, and smooth | People who want a rich, substantial frozen treat |
| Ice cream | A frozen dairy dessert that does not require egg yolk in the same way | Ranges from light and airy to dense | People looking for a familiar frozen dessert in many styles |
| Soft-serve | A serving style, not one single recipe or ingredient list | Soft and easy to dispense | People who want a soft, freshly served dessert |
| Frozen yogurt | Made with yogurt ingredients and often has a tangier taste | Varies by recipe and serving style | People who prefer a yogurt-style flavor |
The comparison is about general dessert types, not a full nutritional ranking. Ingredients and nutrition can vary by product, portion size, and toppings. If you need to check allergens or dietary details, use the current information supplied for the specific item at the location you plan to visit.
Why people associate Andy’s with concretes and treats
Andy’s is known for serving frozen custard in several forms, including cones, cups, sundaes, and blended treats. One familiar menu style is a concrete: custard blended with mix-ins and served thick enough to eat with a spoon. Toppings and product names can vary, so check the menu at the particular shop for current choices.
These options make the custard useful as a base for more than a plain scoop. A cone or cup lets you focus on the custard itself, while a sundae adds toppings and a concrete combines the dessert with ingredients mixed throughout. If you are choosing for the first time, a simple flavor can help you notice the custard’s texture before adding several mix-ins.
Menus can change with location, season, and availability. A treat shown in an older menu, social post, or third-party listing may not be offered everywhere today. For a specific flavor or ingredient, confirm with the shop rather than relying on an old menu image.
How to tell when a local Andy’s location opened
The chain’s 1986 founding year does not mean every Andy’s store has been open for decades. Each location has its own opening date, and newer shops may have started operating much later than the original stand. If you are asking about a particular town, look for that store’s history rather than using the company’s founding year as its local opening date.
- Search the exact location. Use the city or neighborhood with “Andy’s Frozen Custard opening” or “grand opening.” This helps distinguish local news from general company history.
- Check official announcements. The company’s location pages or social media may identify a new shop, although older announcements may no longer be easy to find.
- Look at local reporting. Newspapers and community publications often report when a new restaurant opens. A report published around the opening is usually more useful than a current directory listing.
- Separate opening from announcement. A planned opening date, construction start, or hiring notice does not prove that the shop began serving customers on that date.
- Ask the location if the exact date matters. A store may be able to confirm its opening year even when the date is not posted online.
This approach is useful for local anniversaries, business research, or settling a question about how long a shop has served a community. It also avoids a common mistake: treating the company’s founding year as the opening date for every branch.
Common misconceptions about the brand’s age
“It has been around since the dessert was invented”
No. The company began in 1986, but frozen custard as a dessert existed before Andy’s opened. The founding year describes the business, not the origin of custard or the first time anyone served it.
“Every location is 40 years old”
No. A chain can be decades old while individual shops are relatively new. The 40-year milestone applies to the time since the company’s 1986 start, not to the age of each location or its building.
“Frozen custard is just another name for soft-serve”
Not quite. Soft-serve describes how a frozen dessert is dispensed and served. Frozen custard is a dessert type, generally distinguished by egg yolk in the recipe. The two terms can describe overlapping qualities, but they do not mean the same thing.
“The founding year tells you the exact opening day”
It does not. A founding year establishes when the business began at a broad level. Unless a trustworthy source gives the day and month, do not infer an exact anniversary from the year alone.
What to know before visiting
If your interest is more than the company’s age, a little planning can make a visit easier. Shop hours, menu choices, and services can differ by location. A nearby store’s listing is more useful than assuming all branches follow identical hours or offer every item.
- Check the specific shop’s hours before making a special trip, especially on holidays or during unusual weather.
- Review the current menu if you are looking for a particular flavor, topping, or seasonal item.
- Ask about allergens directly if an ingredient could affect your health. Shared equipment and preparation practices can matter as much as the printed ingredient list.
- Choose your format based on how you like to eat custard: a cone for a simple serving, a cup for fewer drips, or a blended treat for mix-ins.
One practical detail people often overlook is serving temperature. Frozen custard is commonly served fresh and soft, so its texture may seem different from a hard-packed carton taken from a home freezer. That difference is part of the serving experience, not evidence that the product is a different dessert.
Why the 1986 date is the clearest answer
For a short factual response, the most useful information is the company’s founding year and first location: Andy’s Frozen Custard started in 1986 in Osage Beach, Missouri. That supports a clear age calculation without relying on vague descriptions such as “for generations” or guessing at an exact opening day.
When comparing sources, favor a company history or a reliable report that identifies the founding year. Store directories and map listings are designed to show current business details, not necessarily to document a company’s earliest history. They can help you find a nearby branch but may not answer when the original business began.
For questions about a specific shop, treat its opening as a separate fact to verify. For questions about the chain, use 1986. Keeping those two dates distinct gives you an accurate answer whether you are researching the brand, planning a visit, or checking how long a local branch has been part of your area.
Andy’s Frozen Custard began in 1986 with its first shop in Osage Beach, Missouri. That means the company reaches 40 years in 2026, while individual locations may be much newer.
If you are checking a local shop’s history, search for that location’s opening announcement or ask the store directly. For a visit, check its current hours and menu before you go.