3 minute read
Freddy’s A Family that Believes in Service
Business Profile
Freddy's Steakburgers team at the Broomall, PA location. From left to right: Rachel Gura, Jaden DiMarco, Ed Smith, and Samantha Walsh
Photo Courtesy of Dan Hall, Prestige Photography
Freddy’s Steakburgers - A Family that Believes in Service
Written by Craig Whitney
Freddy’s is a young restaurant chain that, over the course of 16 years has grown from a single store in Kansas to over 300 stores across the country. The rapid growth has been built on a culture of customer service and the local store in Broomall, PA has worked to excel in the field.
The Broomall location of Freddy’s is a DiMarco family operation in many ways. Jaden DiMarco is currently the general manager of the Broomall location, and much of his family is also involved in the company. Jaden’s father John is the regional manager for two locations, soon expanding to four, after being the original general manager of the Broomall location for several years. Jaden’s mother also works with the company, serving more as the community outreach manager in West Chester for their second location. In addition, Jaden’s uncle helps run the properties with services such as power washing the buildings and managing the landscaping.
The whole concept of owning and operating a restaurant chain originated with Jaden’s uncle Steve. Steve DiMarco works more in the financial investment side of the business, and was on a trip to Kansas to watch his daughter compete in a golf tournament when he heard of the business. In the early 2000’s, Freddy’s Steakburgers was a much smaller chain than it is now, and the flagship location in Kansas was a surprise to Steve. Upon walking in, each customer is treated like a welcome guest in someone’s home. Managers are walking around tables having conversation with the customers, the food is fast and fresh, and the tables are being cleaned every time someone gets up to leave. Steve was thoroughly impressed from the beginning.
Freddy’s Steakburgers - 2084 S. Sproul Road, Broomall, PA
Photo courtesy of Dan Hall, Prestige Photography
Steve was quick to bring up the concept to John of bringing a location to Delaware County, and the philosophy of the restaurant immediately made sense to him. Not only did John connect immediately with the concept of individual customer treatment, but he knew the perfect location to start the process in.
John has spent much of his life in the Marple Newtown community and has a deep connection to the families in all of the surrounding neighborhoods. In the 1960’s, John was an employee of a fast-food chain on Sproul Road that has gone through several transformations over the years. When it came time to pick a specific property to plant their first Freddy’s, that very same property was available and John took it as quickly as he could. The identical location not only speaks to the coincidence of timing, but also of John’s belief and commitment to the Marple community that has stretched 50 years and was strong enough to invest the start of his business here.
Since opening the store in 2012, the DiMarcos have continued the company’s mission of serving each customer on an individual level. John made it a point to open the door for every customer that they could and make them feel welcome throughout the dining experience. As a general manager, John would personally walk through the lobby greeting customers, asking them about their experience and offering to clean up whenever possible. This philosophy earned the Dimarcos the Freddy’s Way Award for excellence from the Freddy’s organization, and is something each employee strives for.
Samantha Walsh, Manager of Freddy's in Broomall, PA Showing The Freddy’s Way Award for Excellence
Photo Courtesy of Dan Hall, Prestige Photography
