Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often shortened to DQ, is an American chain of soft-serve ice cream shops and fast food restaurants founded in Illinois in 1940. It has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 1998 and is headquartered in Minnesota.
History
The soft-serve formula was first developed in 1938 by John Fremont McCullough and his son Alex, who persuaded their loyal customer Sherb Noble to sell it at his ice cream store in Kankakee, Illinois. According to the account, Noble sold more than 1,600 servings on the first day within two hours. Soon after, Noble and the McCulloughs opened the first Dairy Queen in Joliet in 1940. That original store closed in the 1950s, but its building still stands and is a city-designated landmark.
The chain grew through franchising, from ten stores in 1941 to 100 by 1947 and more than 2,600 by 1955. Its international expansion began early, with the first Canadian location opening in Saskatchewan in 1952. In 1958 the Brazier system introduced charcoal-broiled hamburgers and hot dogs, which later became the standard national menu. The company bought Orange Julius in 1987 and was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 1998. Today most of its more than 6,400 outlets are in the United States, though it operates in many other countries.
Culture
In the 1950s and 1960s, Dairy Queens were a fixture of social life in small towns across the Midwest and South, which is why they recur in stories and memoirs about small-town America, such as works by Larry McMurtry, Robert Inman and Bob Greene. In Texas, which has more stores than any other state, many locations serve a separate menu, including the chicken-fried steak sandwich known as the "Dude."
The menu depends on the format. Some stores sell only treats and are open in the warmer months, while full restaurants serve hamburgers, chicken and hot dogs year-round. Newer Grill & Chill restaurants offer breakfast, limited table service and self-serve fountain drinks with free refills. The brand remains instantly recognizable for its red logo and its classic soft-serve cone.