Tastee-Freez is a Newport Beach, California

Newport Beach, California

Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...

-based franchised

Franchising

Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....

 chain of fast-food restaurants with stores in 22 of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, with most of its stores located in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

 and Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. Currently there are fewer than 100 freestanding stores in the United States and Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

. It was founded in 1950 by Leo Moranz and Harry Axene. Moranz invented a soft-serve pump and freezer which enabled the product. Originally stores focused on frozen dairy-based desserts, but newer restaurants have a larger fast-food menu.

In the 1950s, Tastee-Freez had the Tastee-Freez Twins mascot

Mascot

The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

s: Tee (female) and Eff (male). The mascots were naked with ice cream

Ice cream

Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...

 (strawberry and chocolate respectively) on their heads.

Since 2003, the company has been owned by Galardi Group Franchise & Leasing, a franchisor based in California, that also owns Wienerschnitzel

Wienerschnitzel

Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain founded in 1961 that specializes in hot dogs, but is currently expanding to other items. Wienerschnitzel locations are found almost exclusively in California and Texas, though others are located in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico,...

 hot dog

Hot dog

A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...

 restaurants. Wienerschnitzel has begun to incorporate Tastee-Freez soft serve products in their approximately 350 restaurants.

Select Tastee-Freez soft serve products can also be found at The Original Hamburger Stand

The Original Hamburger Stand

The Original Hamburger Stand is a regional fast food chain in the southwestern United States. Besides its low cost burgers, the franchise features menu items from its sister companies Wienerschnitzel and Tastee-Freez at some of its locations...

locations.