Our History
Florissant
Opened on April 16, 1983, our Florissant location is the original Fritz’s. Our very first customer was greeted with the traditional, “Hi, Welcome to Fritz’s!” The mayor at the time, Mayor Eagan, visited Fritz’s with his family so frequently that we renamed our “straw-banna” (as it was called then) to the now-famous “Mayor’s Cup” in his honor. Some of our original signs from 1983 are still on display at this location.
We also can’t mention our beginnings without recognizing Jack Carney, a popular KMOX talk radio host, who frequently talked about Fritz’s on the air. His favorite concrete was made with Hot Fudge and Malt Powder, which is now known as “The Fritz’s Special” thanks to him.
St. Peters
Our second location opened in the spring of 1987, right off Jungermann Road. At the time of opening, and still to this day, our St. Peters store has the largest parking lot and the most walk-up windows of any Fritz’s location.
To celebrate its opening, the famous KSHE inflatable pig was flown from the roof, drawing in new customers from afar. The KSHE traffic helicopter also landed in the grassy area next to the parking lot to give a live report from the grand opening. Since then, Fritz’s in St. Peters has proudly served the community with delicious frozen custard treats.
West County
Our West County location opened in April of 1994 as the first franchise location. It was established by Ray and Debbie Higgins, making it the third Fritz’s Frozen Custard in St. Louis.
The building had previously been a house and later Meramec Valley Bank before becoming Fritz’s. Unlike the first two locations, the West County store introduced a modern look that set the trend for O’Fallon, Wentzville, and future Fritz’s locations. It was the first to feature neon lighting and includes a large patio area with plenty of seating.
In January 2024, longtime operators Gene Anselmo and Lindsay Barnes, who had managed this location for over 20 years, become the co-owners of the West County Fritz’s. Gene and Lindsay are proud to continue the tradition of serving the best frozen custard in the West County area.
O’Fallon
The O’Fallon location was the second Fritz’s to be built from the ground up. It opened on Mother’s Day in 2000, with Debbie Fritz once again greeting the first customer with, “Hi, Welcome to Fritz’s!”
At its grand opening, O’Fallon was the only store to feature a road sign, a drive-thru, and a raised patio. If you’re on the patio at dusk, you might catch a beautiful sunset. This store followed the modern design introduced in West County, becoming the third Fritz’s location to feature neon lighting.
Wentzville
The Wentzville store also opened in 2000, originally as a franchise location. After the owner’s retirement, it was offered back to the Fritz family.
Wentzville became the second store to feature a drive-thru and is the only Fritz’s location visible from a major interstate (Highway 70). For the past 25 years, this location has been part of the booming Wentzville community, serving local residents and visitors alike.
Fritz’s Frozen Custard is proud to continue the legacy established by Terry and Debbie Fritz. Today, Adam Fritz, Gene Anselmo, and Lindsay Barnes work together to carry Fritz’s into the future—committed to the same tradition of quality, service, and community that has defined the brand for decades.