Freddy's franchisee planning six area restaurants

The Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers chain said it will accelerate its growth in Northeast Illinois with the signing of a franchise development agreement to bring six new Freddy's restaurants to the region.

The Wichita, Kansas, chain previously announced it intends to open 13 new restaurants in the Chicago market, with those development plans in the pipeline.

The newest six-restaurant development agreement is with Asif Poonja of JAM Equities. With over 25 years of experience owning and operating quick-service restaurant concepts, Poonja and his team have nine Popeyes restaurants in their portfolio with eight in Iowa and one in Chicago.

"To broaden our portfolio, we have been actively searching for a proven concept that holds a unique position within the (quick-service restaurant) industry. Through our research, we confirmed that Freddy's is one of the fastest-growing franchises in its segment, and we believe it complements our other brands well," he said.