HCI
HCI Hospitality was a private multi-unit franchisee that operated 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant locations across the Midwest United States, generating revenue through dine-in, takeout, and drive-through sales, before being acquired by JRI Hospitality in March 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersNorco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
HCI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HCI
- Legal name
- HCI Hospitality
- Website
- https://hci-inc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- HCI Hospitality was a private multi-unit franchisee that operated 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant locations across the Midwest United States, generating revenue through dine-in, takeout, and drive-through sales, before being acquired by JRI Hospitality in March 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HCI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)
Keywords
Where HCI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Norco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
HCI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Restaurant Operations: HCI Hospitality operated 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant locations generating revenue through dine-in, takeout, and drive-through sales of frozen custard, steakburgers, and related food items.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
HCI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HCI Hospitality operated 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant locations across the Midwest United States as a multi-unit franchisee. The company generated revenue through dine-in, takeout, and drive-through sales of frozen custard, cooked-to-order steakburgers, fries, and related food items under the Freddy's franchise system. As of March 2026, these restaurant operations were acquired by JRI Hospitality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Restaurant Operations Multi-unit franchisee operation of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurants, offering dine-in, drive-through, and takeout service of frozen custard, cooked-to-order steakburgers, fries, and related food items to consumers across Midwest markets.
Companies that use HCI
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
HCI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HCI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Freddy's Frozen Custard & SteakburgerscoreHCI operated as a multi-unit franchisee of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers brand, operating 43 restaurant locations under the franchisor's brand, model, and operational guidelines in the Midwest region.
Scale indicators2 records
HCI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JRI Hospitality: JRI Hospitality acquired HCI's 43 Freddy's locations and operates the largest Freddy's franchisee portfolio in the system. It is the most directly comparable operator given identical business model, brand affiliation, and multi-unit franchisee structure.
- Flynn Restaurant Group: Flynn is one of the largest multi-brand franchise operators in the U.S., running Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Pizza Hut locations. Highly comparable as a large-scale franchisee operator with similar GTM and unit economics profile.
- Five Guys Enterprises: Five Guys is a fast-casual burger chain with a comparable Midwest presence and franchise-driven growth model. Directly competes for the same customer occasions and value-tier position as Freddy's.
- Shake Shack: Shake Shack is a publicly traded fast-casual burger chain competing in the same consumer occasion as Freddy's, with overlapping menu architecture and similar dine-in/drive-through channel mix.
- Culver's: Culver's is a Midwest-anchored fast-casual chain featuring ButterBurgers and frozen custard, making it the closest direct menu and geography competitor to Freddy's.
- GPS Hospitality: GPS Hospitality is a multi-unit franchisee of burger and chicken QSR brands across multiple states, directly comparable to HCI as a large-scale franchisee operator with regional concentration.
Broad incumbents
- Wendy's Company: Wendy's is a major fast-food burger brand with an extensive franchisee system across the Midwest. Comparable as the broader incumbent in the burger quick-service category where Freddy's competes.
- Inspire Brands: Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant platform (Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Baskin-Robbins). Relevant as a broad incumbent illustrating the platform-consolidation playbook now being applied to Freddy's franchisees.
- Restaurant Brands International: RBI owns Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. Relevant as the broader incumbent defining the franchisor economics and competitive dynamics in the burger category where Freddy's operates.
Emerging players
- BurgerFi: BurgerFi is a smaller fast-casual burger brand with limited franchise scale. Comparable as a niche emerging player in the same burger fast-casual category competing for similar consumer occasions.
Market position
Customer concentration
HCI social profiles
Digital presenceHCI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HCI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HCI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HCI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HCI
What does HCI do?
HCI Hospitality operated 43 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant locations across the Midwest United States as a multi-unit franchisee. The company generated revenue through dine-in, takeout, and drive-through sales of frozen custard, cooked-to-order steakburgers, fries, and related food items under the Freddy's franchise system. As of March 2026, these restaurant operations were acquired by JRI Hospitality.
Is HCI a public or private company?
HCI is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was HCI founded?
HCI was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is HCI based?
HCI is headquartered in Norco, United States, in the North America region.
How does HCI make money?
One revenue line is on record: restaurant Operations.
Who are HCI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JRI Hospitality, Flynn Restaurant Group, Five Guys Enterprises, Shake Shack, Culver's and GPS Hospitality. Broad incumbents are Wendy's Company, Inspire Brands and Restaurant Brands International. BurgerFi is listed as an emerging player.
Does HCI have an API?
No public API is recorded for HCI.
What industry is HCI in?
HCI's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAA, Burger Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.