Cape Girardeau Andy's franchise wins company’s top honor

Andy’s Frozen Custard fans in Cape Girardeau can definitively say their hometown store is the best in the nation, at least for the rest of 2025.

The Andy’s at 809 N. Kingshighway has been recognized by the company as the top-rated franchise for the third time in four years.

“It’s almost my standard now, you know?” general manager Nathan Coleson said. “That’s what we strive for, my whole entire team.”

Andy’s franchises are audited twice per year for cleanliness, operational standards and upholding the company’s values. The location with the highest average audit scores wins Andy’s top honor, the Shine Award. The Cape Girardeau store was the 2021 and 2022 recipient. This month, they retook the title as 2024 Shine Award winners.

Coleson received the award during an Andy’s ownership meeting Wednesday, Jan. 22 in Kansas City. The top 10 audit scores were recognized at the meeting.

“We had an average of, I think, almost 94% for the entire year,” he said.

Coleson has been working at the Cape Girardeau Andy’s since he was 16. Now 27, he has served as its general manager for more than six years. When he started working there, he said the Springfield-based company was significantly smaller than the 168 stores it has today.

This is not the first time his store has won an award. In 2019, it was recognized as the Andy’s with the highest sales volume of any franchise.

The Cape Girardeau location will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, and Coleson said that it is harder for it to compete with newer Andy’s with fresh equipment.

“Everything in here is basically original. There’s not a whole lot that we have that’s new,” he said.

The only time the store has undergone major renovations is after an SUV backed into it, tearing out a section of wall, in September 2023. No one was hurt in the incident and the damage was soon repaired.

Coleson said the company is one that cares about its customers and communities. He stresses creating a standard and not letting small things slide in his establishment.

“I really think that consistency is key, and hiring right is another key thing. I don't just hire warm bodies to sit and fill spaces in here. My interview process is really a three-step process,” he said.

Another difference is he said crews like working together, which he thought transferred into their work.

“They enjoy working here, they enjoy working for the company. They get recognized when they do good. We share and celebrate every success that we have here,” Coleson said.

He said he will want to maintain that higher standard of work. Other general managers are no doubt going to look to receive the award next year.

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