Freddy’s Frozen Custard eyes Route 59 location, seeks parking from variance from Naperville
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is eyeing a spot on the east side Route 59 in Naperville to locate its newest chain restaurant.
The fast-food establishment — known for its cooked-to-order steak burgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries and frozen custard treats — plans to build a 3,230-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru lane on the 14,910-square-foot lot at 1967 Glacier Park Ave.
Before it can begin construction, Freddy’s needs Naperville to sign off on a variance allowing the fast-food restaurant to share parking with other businesses north of Glacier Park Avenue in the High Grove Plaza, including the Urban Air Adventure Park and clothing and housewares merchant Marshalls.
A hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St. Any recommendation from the commission could go to the Naperville City Council as soon as Feb. 7.
Freddy’s was founded in 2002 as a single restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Bill and Randy Simon with their business partner, Scott Redler.
Named in honor of the two brothers’ father, Freddy’s has more than 400 locations, including seven in the Chicago area in Romeoville, Orland Park, Frankfort, Homewood, Glendale Heights, Lake Zurich and Crystal Lake.
Anticipated operating hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
A traffic study conducted by Rosemont-based Kenig, Lindgren, O’Hara, Aboona Inc., or KLOA, said it’s impossible for Freddy’s to provide enough parking on the property as required by the city, given the size of the lot.
But the shopping center’s lot is large enough to accommodate the new restaurant and the existing businesses, according to the KLOA report.
City code requires fast-food establishments provide 17 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area or 55 spaces.
KLOA reviewed parking at an existing 3,148-square-foot Freddy’s restaurant in Cottleville, Missouri, to research peak periods during lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
The Missouri site provides 52 parking spaces with a peak parking occupancy of 26 vehicles on a weekday, 23 vehicles on a Friday, and 25 vehicles on a Saturday, the report shows.
According to KLOA, to allow for adequate surplus space, the parking supply should be 10% to 15% higher than the calculated peak parking demand which equates to 31 parking spaces.
While the two restaurants may be nearly identical in size, the population in Cottleville is just under 5,800, according to the latest U.S. Census figures, compared to Naperville, which has more than 149,000 residents.
If allowed to share parking, Freddy’s would provide 70 spaces for customers and employees, KLOA said.
KLOA also reviewed parking counts in High Grove Plaza on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a peak of 230 vehicles occurring at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Of the 373 parking spaces available, KLOA estimates at its peak the lot would hold 261 total vehicles, 230 from the existing business and 31 vehicles at Freddy’s.
In a memo to the commission, Naperville community planner Gabrielle Mattingly said staff concurs with the KLOA’s findings for granting the parking variance.
If commission members also agree, Mattingly suggested they add a condition requiring the owner to take action if the city determines adequate parking is no longer available on the property.
Those measures, which require approval by the zoning administrator, could include assigning or reserving parking spaces at each tenant’s space, limiting business hours, adjusting the number of employees, constructing additional parking spaces, or establishing off-site overflow parking.
Failure to comply in a timely manner could result in the city revoking the parking variance, she said.
