Freddy's Steakburgers Scheduled To Open Next Week in Broomall

BROOMALL–The once vacant site of the formerly known Arby's building in Broomall will be reopened as Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers next week. John DiMarco, co-owner of the Broomall franchise, stated that an anticipated grand opening date has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11. A soft opening is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 9.

It began as a trip to Kansas University for his daughter, who was recruited by the school for golf. Steve DiMarco–cousin of John DiMarco–said he "wasn't really into fast food" but decided to check it out one day on one his trips to visit his daughter.

"I'm not really a fast food fan, but I loved it," said Steve. What impressed him the most about the restaurant was the "hospitality and freshness" that Freddy's takes pride in. Oh, and "the custard is to die for."

Freddy's steakburger is inspired by the fifties-style staple and reminiscent of an era focused on quality, cooked-to-order meals, according to the restaurant chain's website. According to the DiMarcos, the restaurant has no heating lamps and everything is cooked fresh on the spot. 

For nearly two years, Steve had dragged and convinced his other cousins and family members to fly out to Kansas to try out Freddy's. Six out of the 10 investors of the Broomall franchise are all locals and graduates of Cardinal O'Hara High School. The Broomall location will be the first Freddy's in Pennsylvania and on the East Coast. 

One of the main goals the DiMarcos had for bringing Freddy's to Broomall was to create a place where local families in the Marple Newtown area could gather after church or after football games as they had once remembered growing up. John, who is all too familiar with the restaurant location on Sproul Road, stated he had worked at the exact location when it was once a Burger King. 

"We all grew up in the area and we intend to be very involved with the community, church groups, and schools in the area," said John. "Freddy's makes great steakburgers and frozen custard but they're all about hospitality. We don't believe that there are enough of these kind of places around here. The East Coast needs to slow down and stop to say 'please' and 'thanks' once in awhile. We feel like this is really going to catch on."

And if it does catch on, Steve said the family will look into opening up a few other Freddy's locations possibly in Exton and Chadds Ford.

What's On the Menu

Freddy's offers steakburgers with different flavors and toppings, including bacon & cheese steakburger and California-style steakburger. In addition, they offer grilled chicken breast sandwich, Chicago-style hotdogs. Frozen custards are made fresh everyday in the store using ingredients from Wisconsin. The restaurant will offer vanilla and chocolate frozen custards as well as concretes ("a very thick shake," described John) and 35 different toppings to choose from.

Frozen custard cakes will also be available with different flavors offered, including "Turtle" (fudge, caramel and pecans custard) and "Hawaiian" (pineapple and strawberry custard). In addition, John said the Broomall Freddy's is working on including a gluten-free menu and offering veggie burgers for vegetarians. 

The Set-Up

According to John, the 2,800-square-foot restaurant will offer a one lane, drive-thru, an open kitchen with two full cooking lines, and a newly renovated bathroom. In addition, there will be approximately 40 outdoor seats available and more than 90 seats available inside.

Customers will order food at the register, get drinks at a separate soda machine/condiment station (free refills), and get paged when their food is ready. 

Hours

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Broomall will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Employment

So far, the Broomall Freddy's has hired a fair amount of local students from Marple Newtown High School, Cardinal O'Hara, and Delaware County Community College. The restaurant expects to hire a total of 50-60 employees and are currently looking for more daytime employees.

Those interested in working at the Broomall Freddy's can apply online (make sure to click the Broomall location in the drop-down menu) or in person. The restaurant is located at 2084 Sproul Road, Broomall.