He co-founded Freddy’s. Now, he’s on board to help grow another Kansas restaurant brand

He’s best known for co-founding Freddy’s Frozen Custard — the burger chain that started in 2002 as a single restaurant at 21st and Ridge then grew into one of the most successful restaurant chains to ever come out of Wichita.

But now, Scott Redler has partnered with a new company, where he’ll try to create the same franchise magic that helped Freddy’s become a booming company with 523 restaurants in 36 states.

Redler, who along with his partner Randy Simon sold Freddy’s for an undisclosed sum in 2021, doesn’t have much involvement with Freddy’s anymore, though he says he’s enjoying watching its continued success.

Now, he has taken on a new role: president of Mokas, where he’s tasked with promoting the brand as both a coffee shop and an eatery.

His role in the new partnership also includes overseeing the three existing Mokas cafes — in Salina, Colby and at 143 N. McLean Blvd. in Wichita — as well as shepherding the opening of the fourth Mokas, which should open in July or August at 13th and Greenwich in Wichita, and the fifth one, which will open on Wichita’s west side. (Property has been purchased, but owners aren’t ready to share the address just yet.)

More important, though, is Redler’s main directive, which is to tweak the Mokas concept and help position it to become a franchisable brand.

Redler met Jason Ingermanson, the owner of JRI Hospitality, years ago. Ingermanson, an entrepreneur from Salina, had already started his first Mokas in Salina when, in 2008, he decided to become a Freddy’s franchisee. He started with the Salina Freddy’s and just kept going. Today, Ingermanson is the largest Freddy’s franchisee in the chain and has more than 80 restaurants in 15 states. His JRI Hospitality group also owns five Chompi’s New York-style deli restaurants in Arizona and two The Original Grande taco restaurants — in Scott City and Abilene.

But he always wanted to come back to his first business — Mokas — and now wants to see it grow, he said.

“Over the years, Scott and I worked closely together with Freddy’s, and we grew a really good friendship on top of it,” Ingermanson said. “With things that have changed with Freddy’s selling and him having more time on his hands, I said, ‘Why don’t you come onto team JRI Hospitality? Let’s grow Mokas together and start seeing if there’s an opportunity for it to grow through franchising.”

Redler has been educating himself on the Mokas brand, he said, and he’s impressed by the coffee menu. Mokas does beverages right, he said, and he even traveled to Arizona recently to learn the coffee roasting process.

Then, Redler turned his attention to the Mokas food menu, which offers a selection of breakfast sandwiches entrees and pastries as well as lunchtime sandwiches, salads and wraps.

“We do an amazing job with beverages,” he said. “And now we need to show off our food.”

Redler has already made a few food changes at Mokas. For one, instead of buying and reheating frozen pastries, Mokas is now baking its cookies, muffin tops and scones on-site.

And today, Mokas launches a new offer focused on lunch crowds. It’s added three soups to its menu — tomato basil, broccoli cheddar and chicken noodle — and customers are now able to create their own “Mokas Duos” by choosing two items from a list that includes soups, salads and half sandwiches.

“Today’s guest wants choice,” Redler said. “The younger generation wants choice.”

Redler said the Mokas brand already has a lot going for it. For example, he said, its dining rooms — designed with wood finishes and warm tones — have the right look and feel.

“It’s a comfortable place, whether you’re bringing your family or having a meeting with someone,” he said. “The sound is at the right level. You can hear each other talk. . . . That’s on purpose.”

Most of all, Redler said, he likes the culture of JRI Hospitality, whose values align with his.

“JRI treats their team members like family,” he said. “They do the right things for their team. And I’m very passionate about culture. Culture is something that takes forever to build if you do it the right way. And companies that do it right will win long term.”

Since Freddy’s sold three years ago, Redler has kept himself busy. Not only did he help finance Butler Community College’s fancy new culinary arts building, which opened in Andover in 2022 and was named the Redler Institute of Culinary Arts, but he also just finished a year-long term as the chair of the National Restaurant Association, where his job was to represent the almost one million restaurants in operation across the country.

He also has become a regular, informal adviser to aspiring restaurateurs across Wichita, who come to him for advice about what they should and shouldn’t do.

After his success with Freddy’s, Redler admits, he doesn’t have to work. But restaurants and hospitality have been in his blood since he was 15 years old and got his first restaurant job.

“I don’t need this for my brand,” he said. “But I’m not done working... I love talking about food. I love talking about hospitality. I really love watching people grow. I saw that in a lot of tremendous ways with Freddy’s, and I want to see the same thing here.”

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