Missouri Place Could Have Been a Franchise, But I’m Glad It Isn’t

I am convinced there is one Missouri-only brand that could have become one of the great national food franchises, but that will never happen and I'm so glad that is the case. It remains a Show Me State treasure and it will be exclusive forever.

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I remember when I was younger, my parents would always include one stop almost every time we ended up in the St. Louis area. I could not understand their devotion before, but did once they handed me one of those precious frozen cups. I am, of course, talking about Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard.

As Wikipedia records, Ted Drewes has been an exclusive Missouri place for 94 years with humble beginnings in 1929. Their frozen custard is never handed to you right-side up. It's always upside down to prove a point.

Why did Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard never become a national franchise?

I saw the Riverfront Times share that Ted Drewe Jr. said he had been offered the chance to franchise the frozen custard business many times over the years but "he vows he'll never do it".

If you've been to Ted Drewe's in the summer time, you know the lines are long as the devotion of St. Louis is unmatched. Think about that on a national scale. In-N-Out Burger would have nothing on Ted Drewe's.

The family is obviously leaving absolutely millions of dollars on the table by keeping this a St. Louis exclusive. But, the more I think about it, the more I understand. The fact that you can't find this frozen custard anywhere else makes it that much more special to Missouri and the nostalgic part of me wouldn't want it any other way. See you before the next Cardinals game, Ted Drewe's.