The first Dairy Queen restaurant opened on June 22, 1940 by Sherwood Dick Noble. In fact it was not Noble's first enterprise. He started his business in 1938 with the opening of a small ice-cream shop on South West Avenue in Kankakee, Illinois. For 10 cents the customers could get soft serve diary product.
Dairy Queen is closely connected with the foundation of food franchising. 10 stores of 1941 expanded to 100 in 1947, 1,446 in 1950 and 2,600 in 1955. Few restaurants are likely to expand at such high rate. In 1959 the present logotype of Dairy Queen Restaurant was introduced. The company has got the name "International Dairy Queen". In 1998 it was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway.
Today the list of company's products expands gradually, including malts and milkshakes (first introduced in 1949 ), banana splits, "Dilly Bars" and a range of hamburgers. One of the most popular Dairy Queen offers is the Blizzard - ice cream with candy bits blended in - which has become a staple on the menu in 1985. Dairy Queen Restaurant has been referred to as a center of social life. It has become a symbol of life in small towns of the Southern and Midwestern United States during 1950s and 1960s. Diary Queen headquarters are located in Edina, Minnesota.
There are three brands within the company, all of which bear the Dairy Queen logotype. Small Dairy Queen enterprises have a rather shortened menu, including frozen treats and hot dogs mainly. Medium-sized Dairy Queen enterprises have a normal fast food menu, offering burgers, French fries, fried chicken products as well as hot dogs and frozen treats. Large Dairy Queen Grill and Chill enterprises have an expanded menu, so that you can choose among great variety of products. Today International Dairy Queen's efforts are focused on the enlargement of Grill and Chill stores.
South Texas Dairy Queen came into being in 1976. Its founders Jim and Sue West, both residents of South Texas, were very successful in creating the best lunchrooms in the area. High-quality food, service and staff made the place popular among people, who had the possibility to catch up on the home town news.
In visitors opinion the quality of food is good. The same can be said about the quality and speed of service. Food is supplied quickly after ordering and can be eaten quickly as well. As far as cleanliness is concerned it may vary from small shop locations, which are not very well maintained to some more modern locations, which are spotless. Some locations do not have seating. These usually offer ice cream and hamburgers of various types.
The majority of Dairy Queen Restaurants are individually owned. It means the operator has the right to take decisions concerning all store policies. The first Dairy Queen Restaurant opened in Joliet. The first Canadian Dairy Queen store appeared in Estevan, Saskatchewan in 1953. The majority of Dairy Queen restaurants are located in Texas. There are 600 locations out of 5,700 operating in the United States, Canada and 22 other countries. To find the nearest to you Dairy Queen location you can go to home page.