Inglewood, California-based Fosters Freeze is jumping state lines with plans to open upwards of 14 Las Vegas-area locations. Under the direction of Neal Dahya and his brother Nimesh, who together purchased the franchise five years ago, Fosters Freeze will bring its burgers and ice cream to the area adding to its 66+ west coast locations.
“The question we’re constantly hearing is, ‘when are you coming to my state?,’” Neal Dahya, president and CEO of Fosters Freeze, said in a press release. “So we know the demand is everywhere, but we’re being very careful to grow strategically. Right now, we’re looking for qualified candidates across Nevada. There’s no limit to how far we can take this.”
Fosters Freeze has been in business for nearly 75 years. It was founded in 1946 by George Foster serving soft-serve ice cream and related desserts. The growing chain eventually added made-to-order hamburgers to its offerings alongside fries and other fast-food eats.
“This is a franchise that for many years just wasn’t treated as a franchise,” Dahya said. “Every franchisee owned and managed their store pretty much independently, without any support from the corporate team, and the corporate team put virtually no investment into growing the brand. Now, we’re seeing a lot of excitement from franchisees. The general feeling is that we finally have an opportunity to make the most of a brand that has so much potential.”
While exact locations are TBD, Fosters Freeze is aiming at opening four to eight locations in Las Vegas, one to two in Reno, and two locations in Henderson. Arizona is also on the expansion hit-list.