Hold tight, Tacoma — Frisko Freeze is on hiatus as new owners complete final repairs
Tacoma’s Frisko Freeze will go on a hiatus starting Wednesday, April 24, as crews complete the last of repairs and restoration of the 1950s-era building and surrounding infrastructure that began earlier this year under new owners.
It will reopen, estimated May 21, with a refreshed exterior and all-new interior that John and Nico Xitco hope will improve the experience for both staff and guests for another 75 years.
During that time, the iconic burgers will make surprise appearances at E9 Firehouse off Sixth Avenue and the E9 Brewing taproom on 25th and Fawcett. Since February, Frisko Freeze has been serving most of its menu from a food truck stationed at 1201 Division Ave. It will close after service on Tuesday as it returns to Jake’s Burgers at Sterino Farms in Puyallup, which will soon kick off its summer season.
Having to pause even for a few days was not part of John Xitco’s plan.
“That’s the thing that bums me out the most,” he said, noting that, to his knowledge, Frisko Freeze has never closed save for Christmas Day. Importantly, he added, staff will stay employed, with some electing to take time off and others assisting with final preparations for the big reveal next month.
Delays with city permits and reviews “set us behind schedule,” he told The News Tribune this week. The final push involves replacing a sewer line buried six feet under the pavement in the parking lot, which has already been limited on space since construction began. Permits show the installation of a new water service line and basin.
“All in all, it’s probably best that we just close and not have any distractions, and get the thing done as quick as we can,” said Xitco, also behind X Group Restaurants.
He and his son Nico officially took over Frisko Freeze from the estate of Penny Jensen-Gerber in November. Her father Perry Smith opened it first as an ice cream shop in 1950, adding burgers a few years later. The mid-20th century building was not modeled for the modern volume of patties and fries, Xitco, who had long desired to buy Frisko Freeze if it ever were for sale, explained last fall.
Most of the changes to the structure, listed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, have occurred on the inside: tearing out the old concrete floor and outfitting the new one with working floor drains for easy cleaning, fresh equipment rearranged to drastically improve kitchen workflow and thus wait times.
“We’ve built this thing back up from the ground up,” said Xitco, but the bones remain. Exterior refinishes focused on maintenance, such as a new roof, while the kitchen overhaul aimed to create “a work environment that’s actually nice for the staff. It was horribly cold, horribly warm, just super tight work spaces. It’s going to be night and day.”
Ahead of the reopening, fans can get their “Frisko Magik Grease Hit,” as the restaurant wrote on social media, at two locations, with details to be announced shortly. Look for a flagship Frisko burger at E9 Firehouse by next week, and at the brewery find the old griddle sizzling up the full Frisko burger menu (no fries, etc.) alongside their wood-fired pizzas.
FRISKO FREEZE
▪ 1201 Division Ave., Tacoma, friskofreeze.com
▪ Closed April 24-May 13 for final repairs; target reopening May 21
▪ Frisko pop-ups planned at E9 Firehouse, 611 N Pine St., and E9 Brewing Taproom, 2506 Fawcett Ave.
Reporter’s Note, 5/14/24: This story has been updated to reflect the restaurant’s target reopening date.
This story was originally published April 23, 2024 at 5:11 PM.