--- title: "Freddy's Opens First-Ever Military Base Location" url: https://burnaze.com/article/75c65770-9aaf-441b-9a4e-c00aae260e1a source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260415_freddys_opens_firstever_military_base_location.html category: "Burger" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Burger" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-04-15T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T16:11:48.417Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/freddysfrozencustard.jpg --- # Freddy's Opens First-Ever Military Base Location **TL;DR:** Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has opened its first-ever military base location at Fort Lee, marking the brand's 25th nontraditional location. The restaurant operates within a smaller footprint and features a streamlined kitchen and simplified menu designed for the space. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-04-15. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260415_freddys_opens_firstever_military_base_location.html).* ## Story The restaurant will open its doors on April 15th. A formal grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for a later date. "This really started as a partnership opportunity with the base, and from day one it's been a collaborative effort," said Cam Blakely, President at JRI Hospitality. "We've built a great relationship with the base team and are excited to officially open our doors." Located inside the base commissary alongside other dining options, the Fort Lee restaurant operates within a smaller footprint than a traditional Freddy's. It features a streamlined kitchen and a simplified menu designed specifically for the space. "We had to be flexible in how we approached this location, from the size of the space to how we operate day to day," said Blakely. "But at the end of the day, we're still delivering the same Freddy's experience our guests know and love." To meet military requirements, the team navigated an extended approval process, completed background checks for all staff, and adapted to base-directed guidelines. Construction was also notably faster than a typical restaurant build, with the space completed in approximately one month. The Fort Lee restaurant marks Freddy's 25th nontraditional location, including airports, student centers, stadiums and arenas. With strong support from both corporate leadership and regional teams, the brand sees this as a promising first step toward expanding Freddy's footprint across additional military installations nationwide. "This is a really exciting milestone for us," said Chris Dull, President & CEO of Freddy's. "It's meaningful because of Freddy's military roots, and it also demonstrates our ability to strategically adapt to different environments. We see this as a strong first step toward bringing Freddy's to more military bases in the future." As Freddy's continues to evolve its development strategy, the Fort Lee opening serves as a powerful example of how the brand is adapting to new spaces while staying true to its core offering of delivering quality, hospitality, and a classic American dining experience. For information on franchising opportunities with Freddy's, visit freddysfranchising.com. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a leading fast-casual franchise concept with over 580 locations across the United States and Canada. Founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002, the brand offers a unique combination of cooked-to-order steakburgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries and other savory items, along with freshly churned frozen custard treats. Known for operating The Freddy's Way, Guests experience genuine hospitality and food prepared fresh with premium ingredients. This signature approach has fueled Freddy's ongoing growth throughout the U.S. and garnered national recognition from industry-leading rankings, including being named No. 60 on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers + Shakers, No. 85 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, No. 60 on Technomic's Top 500 and No. Freddy's is one of the fastest-growing burger and frozen custard franchises, offering premium ingredients, world-class support, and an impressive AUV of $2.6M*. Learn more. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - QSR (sector) - restaurant opening (topic) - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (company) - Chris Dull (person) - military expansion (topic) - non-traditional location (topic) - JRI Hospitality (company) - menu adaptation (topic) - Cam Blakely (person) - Fort Lee (location) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260415_freddys_opens_firstever_military_base_location.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/75c65770-9aaf-441b-9a4e-c00aae260e1a).