Charles F.
Yelp
I remember the fanfare and flocking when Freddy's arrived sometime ago last year, circa 2015. I remember raving about the customer service and the uniqueness of the concretes and the burgers. As time went by my visits were less and less frequent. It was the little things that troubled me and eventually led to my choosing to go elsewhere. My son who is very particular still likes Freddy's but only for the Hawaiian Delight in a cup. I'm not sure if the "specialness" wore off or that having multiple locations reduced the coolness of Freddys. Here's what I do like.
I love seeing the pictures of Freddy in various moments and locales on the wall.
I like that the pickup area is different than the front counter area
I like how Freddy's uses and embraces social media, especially Twitter
Incorporating the classic Car shows
Here's what I don't like
Constant use of the apron as a way to remove whatever is on the hands. I know that most restaurants have some of this issue but this has happened on more than one occasion with more than one employee.
The smattering of shake or ice cream all over the back side of the cashier station any day of the week. I know that customers love the frozen custard, buts its not appealing to see it splattered all over the back splash, the floor, and the equipment.
Uniform noncompliance. I think Freddy would be rolling over in his grave if he saw the majority of his employees with the shirts untucked, spotty, covered in frozen custard, and/or either too small or too big and then there's the jeans. Specifically, either too tight, too long, were the bottoms/ hems, are dragging and tearing as they are being caught by the heels of the shoes. As a former restaurant manager and relief Area Manager for a national chain, the employees appearance is a reflective of the manager and the restaurant. I would encourage the team to re-visit the uniform standards and dedicate themselves to ensure that Freddy's standard is being adhered.
Dinning Room. Seeing multiple tables with leftovers and trash is not welcoming. I will be the first to acknowledge how hard it is to keep up with the dinning room. Its very challenging as one moment the dinning room can be spotless and the next moment look like Mr. Clean and Febreeze commercial. The trick is to have the the employees responsible to be on the lookout to pick up trays, trash and so on. Freddy's did this when they first opened, most likely when extra labor was afforded but now it's probably a little more challenging. I would encourage Freddy's to look into secondary duties for front line employees so that the dinning room is kept to Freddy's standards.
Food Quality. The burgers, err Steak burgers, were an interesting taste at first and a taste that I enjoyed but after several visits, the flattened to wafer thin crisp burger patty just didn't peak my curiosity anymore and alas that's the biggest issue for me. I love me a great burger and have had some phenomenal ones. Freddy's is an one-trick pony that I got to ride, and now that I have done it, there's nothing else for me to do. So, while the restaurant is filled most nights and especially Friday and Saturday night, with denizens of Meridianites, you most likely won't find me there unless I need a Hawaiian delight for my son.