Tastee-Freez

Tastee-Freez is a soft serve ice cream frozen dessert product served at 350 locations at Wienerschnitzel and Original Hamburger fast food chains and also franchised chain of 50 fast-food restaurants. Its corporate headquarters is based in Newport Beach, California and has stores in 22 of the United States, with most of its freestanding stores located in Virginia, Illinois and Maryland. The first Tastee-Freez was established in Keithsburg, Illinois.

History

Tastee-Freez was founded in 1950 in Joliet, Illinois by Leo S. Moranz and Harry Axene. Moranz invented a soft serve pump and freezer which enabled the product, and their Harlee Manufacturing Company produced the machines which franchisees would buy and use in their respective locations. Originally stores focused on iced milk and other frozen dairy-based desserts. Expansion of the brand was rapid in the 1950s; in 1952, there were 315 locations, and by 1957 there were nearly 1800 locations. Fewer than fifty exist today.

Newer locations have a larger fast food menu, far beyond the original offerings. Since 2003, the company has been owned by Galardi Group Franchise & Leasing, a franchisor based in California that also owns Wienerschnitzel hot dog restaurants. Wienerschnitzel has begun to incorporate Tastee-Freez soft serve products in their approximately 350 restaurants. Select Tastee-Freez soft serve products can also be found at The Original Hamburger Stand locations. There are fewer than fifty freestanding stores in the United States.