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Andy’s Frozen Custard has taken to concrete across the Knoxville area. First, with the construction of a big red building in Sevierville, then, with the ribbon cutting of the big red building off Kingston Pike in Bearden, and most recently the opening of a big red building off Cedar Bluff. It is a noticeable landmark, and has quickly attracted and created thousands of “FAndy’s” in the region. Former Midwesterners flock to it and East Tennesseean’s have also developed an appetite for the custard company.

In the past few years, the three locations have garnered a lot of attention and interest. Yet, Tom Gass, the Co-Owner and Managing Partner of 3 Peaks Custard – a franchise of Andy’s Frozen Custard – said the development of Andy’s in the area is far from over.

Getting the ball rolling

In 1994, Tom Gass was offered the opportunity to move from Venice, California to Branson, Missouri to build and open the Lawrence Welk Resort and its Branson Theatre. Branson is the entertainment hub of the Ozarks. In the late 1990s, the city had about 20 theaters with 45 shows. And, by 2005, the area added more than a dozen theatres and doubled its amount of shows. Think Pigeon Forge – but in Missouri.

“People were riding busses to town and seeing three shows a day, and then spending time and money going to dinner. Branson quickly became this magical place that really took off,” Gass said. “So, we were building theatres, doing drapes, lights, sound, and everything for production.”

He had tapped into a goldmine of opportunity at the right place and right time. But as the years progressed, Gass started to feel the public shift away from live theatre and toward other forms of entertainment. He decided to pursue a new opportunity working with Herschend Family Entertainment. He started with their Silver Dollar City park, and expanded into a national role designing rides and attractions for parks across the country – including Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

“I met my wife, Noelle, in Branson, we had three kids, and we fell in love with the area – and naturally also fell in love with Andy’s Frozen Custard,” he said.

Andy’s was started in the Lake of the Ozarks and rapidly expanded across eight locations in the Springfield/Branson area. For Gass and his family, it was a regular gathering spot with a family-friendly atmosphere and tasty options.

Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic hit the amusement park and entertainment industries hard. It left Gass at a crossroads.

“With everything going on, it was a good time to pivot. So my business partners, who at the time, were just very close friends, said, ‘Let’s do something together.’ So we came back with the idea to open an Andy’s in Pigeon Forge,” Gass said.

It was an idea – but actually getting the ball rolling was no easy feat. Through a chain of network connections Gass coordinated a phone call with Andy Kuntz, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and son of Andy’s Frozen Custard’s Founder’s Carol and John Kuntz. He pitched the idea to open an Andy’s location in Pigeon Forge, but the Kuntz family had a bigger idea.

“We ended up signing a development agreement with them for six stores in the Knoxville MSA, with a promise that Pigeon Forge would not be in the first three stores because it’s such a high traffic area, and we needed to get our feet under us before starting operations,” he said.

Building momentum

“We opened our first store in Sevierville three years ago,” Gass shared, emphasizing they they carefully selected a location on Dolly Parton Parkway. That location was followed with Kingston Pike one year later, and Cedar Bluff one year after that.

Gass said there were several steps required to get the locations approved. There’s a boots on the ground land survey, rooftop count in the area, car counts on nearby roadways – visibility is key. The Cedar Bluff location was especially strategic. The community pool is located directly behind the Andy’s property, and Knoxville Catholic High School, Christian Academy Knoxville, Cedar Bluff Elementary, and Web School are all within a couple mile radius.

“We opened at the end of June – early July 2024, and it was super dynamic. We had one of the highest, if not the highest, opening day in number of sales, and it’s been just a terrific spot for us,” he said. “Anybody that’s a ‘FAndy,’ you sort of make a pilgrimage. If you’re in a town and you know there’s an Andy’s, you’re gonna go find it. Our people are going to be dressed the same. Our recipes are all the same. You know what to expect, and we deliver it well.”

Coming up, Gass said 3 Peaks Custard has two more locations “on mark” to open. The next location will be in Maryville on South Washington Street, across from Maryville College and situated next to the Dunkin Donuts. Fun fact, the owners of the Dunkin Donuts on Washington Street are the same owners of the Dunkin Donuts next to the Andy’s location on Dolly Parton Parkway.

They’ve been great to us. They took us under their wing. They have massive amounts of stores, and they’ve been a great partner to us in helping us,” he said.

Additionally, Gass shared that he and his partners have purchased the land for the highly-anticipated Pigeon Forge location. Though, he said the exact location will remain a secret surprise, for now.

Cultivating a culture with custard

“East Tennessee is all about family, and the Andy’s dynamic is a really good fit with that,” Gass said.

From the cornhole and turf at the front of the facilities to the pup cones and easy drive through experience, Gass explained Andy’s as being the pinnacle amusement experience for a frozen custard shop. Given his background in the entertainment industry, it bodes well.

“I would say beyond the brand, our strongest assets are our employees, who without them none of this would be possible,” Gass said. “We are lucky to have a great group of people.”

He believes that Andy’s success has been greatly attributed to the warm welcome from East Tennesseans.

“Everybody in Sevierville has been great. Knoxville has been great. Maryville has been great. Every town just makes us feel welcome. We cannot wait for what’s to come,” he said.

Learn more about Andy’s Frozen Custard offerings.

Connect with Tom Gass.

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