When I was a kid, and my father would say, “Wanna’ go get some ice cream?”, I was always the first one in the car. Because I knew we were headed to one of the local Dairy Queens. The place where I could get any kind of ice cream or other cold treat my heart desired. A lot changes as the years pass by. I’m only a kid “at heart” now. But some things never change. Dairy Queen is still one of the most popular treats in America. And my father still loves to go get ice cream. Read this interesting article and find out some little known facts about Dairy Queen that will probably surprise you!
The Early Years
The first Dairy Queen opened up in Joliet, Illinois in 1940. Although it was called “ice cream” by customers, the store actually served a “soft, frozen dairy product.. No matter, the customers eagerly slurped it up. Franchises were sold. By the end of 1941, less than ten Dairy Queen stores existed. In six short years, that number escalated to one hundred stores in the United States.
A little known fact about Dairy Queen is that malts, milkshakes, banana splits and Dilly Bars were added to their menu in 1949, 1951 and 1955, respectively.
Today…
…there are nearly six thousand Dairy Queen stores in the United States, Canada and in twenty foreign countries. Inside the United States, Texas has the most DQ stores with over 600.
A little known fact about Dairy Queen is that the conglomerate, International Dairy Queen, Inc., was bought by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in early 1998. IDQ also owns Orange Julius of America and Karmelkorn Shoppes, Inc. Company headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Dairy Queen menu has expanded considerably. The menu now includes items such as the Mr. Misty Slush Treat, The Buster Bar, Hot Fudge Brownie Delight, Peanut Buster Parfait, Blizzards, MooLatte Beverages and waffle bowls, cones and sundaes. You can also buy frozen DQ Cakes.
Visit a DQ Brazier and you can order fried foods such as their Chicken Strip Basket, Grillburger, hot dogs or Treatzza Pizza.
Every Dairy Queen store is independently owned and operated. Therefore, the individual owners decide what their menu items will be, business hours, et cetera.
DQ Soft Serve
A little known fact about Dairy Queen is that you don’t have to feel guilty when you eat their soft serve, even when it’s inside a delicious, crunchy cone! The company refers to it as being ice cream now. However, it’s different because it’s lower in fat than regular ice cream. For example, one half cup of Ronnybrook All Natural Vanilla Ice cream contains 16 grams of fat. The same-size serving of Dairy Queen Soft Serve contains 4.5 grams of fat.
When it comes to calories, Ronnybrook’s frozen treat contains 240 calories per half cup. DQ’s Soft Serve weighs in at a “skinny” 140 calories.
Of course, if you’re watching your sugar intake, you can still enjoy a DQ “no sugar-added” Fudge Bar, Vanilla Orange Bar or a Chocolate Dilly Bar.
Children’s Miracle Network
If you’ve ever visited a Dairy Queen store, you’ve probably noticed the collection canisters on the counters. By collecting donations from their customers, selling paper “Miracle Treats” and sponsoring events, the stores have helped the non-profit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) since 1984. A little known fact about Dairy Queen is that the company has donated more than $44 million to the network. According to the CMN website, “There are 170 children’s hospitals affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network. These hospitals help children of all races, ages, religions, ailments, and financial backgrounds.”
Note: All product names are registered trademarks of their respective companies.
