Todd Paladini’s Appointment Reflects the Brand’s Focus on Tech-Powered Scalability and Support
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has named Todd Paladini its first-ever chief information officer. Paladini spearheads the fast-casual restaurant brand’s enterprise technology strategy and partners across the business to foster growth. His professional background includes 20-plus years of international IT leadership experience at brands including Cafe Rio Mexican Grill and Cinemark.
“While my exposure to IT in terms of systems, data, compliance, digital transformation and cybersecurity has been vast, Freddy’s is my first journey in franchising at scale,” Paladini said. “What attracted me to Freddy’s was the clarity of how technology can directly amplify the brand’s operational strengths. Freddy’s runs a highly repeatable, operationally disciplined model, one that benefits heavily from modern, integrated digital capabilities. The opportunity to elevate the guest experience, streamline kitchen and front-of-house workflows and unlock real-time data insights creates a compelling CIO landscape.
“Freddy’s has a strong operational foundation and a clear brand identity; bringing more intelligence, automation and insight into the business will create real value quickly. I’m particularly excited about continuing to unify our data, further simplify our technology stack and enable a frictionless digital experience for our guests.”
Paladini said advancements in automation, digital integration and enterprise data at Freddy’s are already delivering operational efficiencies and elevating both franchisee performance and guest satisfaction. “As Freddy’s continues its rapid expansion, a modern technology ecosystem will help us scale with intention, differentiate the brand and deliver the fast, friendly experience that defines Freddy’s.”
He described the hospitality industry as “one of the few sectors where digital innovation directly shapes how people feel,” a compelling quality that has kept him in the field for so long and also prepared him well for this role.
Chris Dull, president and CEO of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburger, said Paladini is the ideal person for driving the restaurant franchise’s tech-forward future. “Technology plays an increasingly critical role in supporting franchisees, strengthening operations and delivering the fast, friendly experience guests expect from Freddy’s,” Dull said.
Paladini said franchisors should treat technology as an integrated strategic framework rather than a collection of stand-alone tools. “This involves developing scalable platforms, driving strong franchisee engagement, enabling consistent brand delivery and safeguarding data across the entire network.”
About Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Founded in Wichita, Kan., in 2002, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a leading fast-casual franchise concept with 580-plus locations across 36 states. The brand serves steakburgers, all-beef hot dogs, shoestring fries and more, along with freshly churned frozen custard treats.
