Since 1958, Anchorage residents have been coming in to Tastee Freez grab a delicious burger and a “freezie.”

There are currently 36 Tastee Freez locations throughout the country, but Rich Owens is the owner of the only Tastee Freez left standing in Alaska, located at Four Corners on Jewel Lake and Raspberry Road. According to “Alaska Business Magazine”, Tastee Freez is America’s favorite soft serve restaurant.

Owens is seen by many as an outstanding business owner, community leader and a great father-like figure to the many young people that are around him. “Rich has gone above and beyond the call of duty in creating a destination for fundraisers and charities throughout the Anchorage community,” said Doug Koegeboen, Chief Marketing Officer for Galardi Group. “He is an outstanding example of how a small business owner with a big heart can make a huge difference, and we are privileged to award this honor to such a deserving ambassador of the Tastee Freez brand.”

The restaurant is known for their chilidogs, burgers and soft serve ice cream. One of the managers at Tastee Freez, Cameron Carter, has been working at the fast-food chain restaurant for almost six years now. He is kind-hearted, intelligent and a well-trained chef. Carter says, “I think as far as a starting job it’s great because we teach you how to properly clean, how to properly do dishes, disinfect and sanitize…it’s a good thing to learn those things along with the basic work ethic.”

When it comes to doing things for the local community, Carter says, “We’re closely tied with political figures, we host events for them and such, and the biggest thing is local community.”

Everyone loves the Tastee Freez uniform because it is very laid back. Employees are required to wear the classic Tastee Freez t-shirt with jeans. Tourists from all over the country that come visit Alaska say Tastee Freez is a must-see restaurant. With its old-fashioned burgers and environment no wonder everyone loves it. And tourists can even pick up a Tastee Freez shirt on their way out the door!

Employees at Tastee Freez say the environment is fun and friendly. They enjoy the people they work with. Sheena Graham has been working at Tastee Freez for about a year now. “It can be a friendly environment but it also can be very busy at times,” Graham said. Sometimes in fast food restaurants people can be rude and it can be hard to deal with. “If a customer has a problem I assess the situation and I see what I can do to make them happy,” Graham adds.

The whole experience of going to the restaurant on a warm summer day or cold winter day is nice. Long time customer Bailey Garrett thoroughly enjoys the customer service. Many people say it’s what makes them come back. “Their customer service is really good. Everyone is always super nice,” says Garrett.  “I’ve been coming here since I was three years old and my favorite is the chocolate ice cream on a cone.”

Overall, many people believe that Tastee Freez is one of the best ice cream places in Anchorage.