Andy's Frozen Custard plans to build a new home office on a 10-acre plot of land in East Springfield within two years, owner Andy Kuntz said.
The 10-acre plot stands on the northeast corner of East Division Steet and North Le Compte Road, on the east side of U.S. Highway 65. The project is still in the planning stages and is subject to change, Kuntz said.
“Our intention is to build our home office there at some point,” Kuntz said by phone Oct. 27. “We’re going to expand out of our current space at some point and we just like to have options.”
The land is surrounded by Springfield Underground property.
The Springfield-based frozen treat company needs “more space to grow,” Kuntz said. The east side of town was appealing because of its strong growth in recent years, he said. There is no definitive timeline, but Kuntz expects it could be done in two years, he said.
“In the next couple of years we hope to have something in place out there,” Kuntz said. In order for the headquarters to be complete by then, construction could “potentially” begin soon, he said.
The company's growth skyrocketed since its debut nearly four decades ago. With locations in 15 states, Andy's Frozen Custard is the world's largest dessert-only franchise, according to the company website.
Andy's added 22 new stores in 2023 for a total of 144 locations, Kuntz said. The custard company plans to add 25 to 30 locations next year, he said. Kuntz expects a 20-percent growth rate to “continue for some time,” he said.
“We’re continuing to grow,” Kuntz said. “We have more people that we need to bring on to our company and [we need] space to grow.”
Andy's downtown Springfield digs
Andy's moved into its downtown offices in 2016, according to the Springfield Business Journal. The 18,000-square-foot building at 211 E. Water St. was built in 1913, and served as the original location for Harry Cooper Supply Co.
Andy's leases the building from the McQueary family through Clan MacQuarrie, LLC, for undisclosed terms, according to records from the Missouri Secretary of State's Office.
Andy's will outgrow its downtown headquarters “before the lease is up,” Kuntz said. “In the next couple years I would say.”
A prompt exodus from those offices is not promised, however, as Kuntz said Andy's may continue to rent the space across Water Street from Founder's Park “for some time,” even after construction on the new headquarters is complete.
While Kuntz didn't promise anything as grandiose as the 14-foot tall ice cream cone installed in the downtown offices, he alluded that the new headquarters will also have some sort of an identifiable staple.
“I'm sure there will be something, but I don't have that yet,” Kuntz said.
$726,500 deed of trust
Andy's purchased the 10-acre plot of land at 1610 to 1620 N. Le Compte Rd. in July 2022, through White Shirts LLC, a business registered to Kuntz, according to the Green County Assessor's Office records.
The land was acquired from the Larry B. Clark Trust, according to records. While a bill of sale was not disclosed, a deed of trust of $726,500 was recorded at the time of purchase, according to records from the Greene County Recorder of Deeds.
The land was rezoned from residential use before the purchase, Kuntz said. The Springfield City Council voted to approve a zoning change in May 2022, creating a conditional overlay district, according to City of Springfield records.
“That was an opportunity to acquire some good real estate and that makes sense for us to consider that for our future home office,” Kuntz said.
Andy's: ‘We love Springfield'
Even with its growth spurt and franchising, Andy's Frozen Custard has maintained ownership of about 40 percent of its stores, Kuntz said. The company plans to keep that ownership ratio in the future.
Out of the 30 new stores planned for next year, about 12 will be company-owned and operated, while the rest will be franchisee-owned, Kuntz said.
To become an Andy's franchisee, the company requires a three-to-five store commitment, according to the company website. A franchise candidate's financial position should exceed $3 million in liquid assets.
The initial franchise fee for the first Andy's location is $32,000, with reductions for each additional store opened, according to the website. Royalty fees start at 6 percent and are tiered down according to the number of stores opened.
There's no plans to change the company's home base, so building the new Andy's Frozen Custard headquarters in Springfield just made sense, Kuntz said.
“We love Springfield,” Kuntz said. “For the most part, we started our Andy's business in Springfield on East Sunshine back in 1987.”
“We love it here and it’s the right place to have [the company's headquarters.] We haven’t really considered having it anywhere else.”
