Growing up in the early 80's in Edmond... one of my best memories is that after my dad's softball games, we all went to Dairy Queen. Hit one of the one's in Texas recently and it about ruined my memories. Real life never stands up to nostalgia, does it?

"Nostalgia" started out as a "mental disorder" among some foreign troops in a foreign land.
(they were probably german or russian. homesick. really homesick.)

If there had been a Dairy Queen in the vicinity, the disease probably would have remained non-existant/nameless.
(much like peanut allergies . . .)

Go to a Rudy's BBQ location in the Austin area the other K&N Management concept, Mighty Fine Burgers and service seems to be a key component of what they do, of course they offer a higher starting wage than most places of its kind (I think the last time that I saw a sign up something like $10.50/HR was the starting pay). The Rudy's in Colorado Springs does not have the same type of service and their staff looks like they are mostly high schoolers or young college students.

I would agree. We eat at a Rudy's in Austin whenever we go and they have tons of staff and they are all very friendly. Speaking of, we took time while leaving the Cheddars yesterday in MWC to tell the manager on duty how much we liked our waiter that afternoon (Javonte (sp)). Real professional and friendly young man who was making the most out of what I'm sure could be a pretty depressing job.

Growing up in the early 80's in Edmond... one of my best memories is that after my dad's softball games, we all went to Dairy Queen. Hit one of the one's in Texas recently and it about ruined my memories. Real life never stands up to nostalgia, does it?

That is often the case but there was one that proved the exception to the rule. It was/is a place called "Black Angus" (a mom-n-pop burger place) in Little Rock. Even though they moved the location from near the university to the burbs the food is exactly as I remember it back in my grade school days in the early 70s. Still a family owned/run place. Don't get to Little Rock often but when we do we would stop there.

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Good to hear about Orange Julius..that is another company that I miss (thought they didn't exist at all any more).

Isn't there one in Quail Springs?

Isn't there one in Quail Springs?

Yeah, there is.

I was in Tulsa the other day and noticed they are about finished with a new DQ in Broken Arrow. Anyone know if they planning to try the OKC market again?

I grew up in the Dunns DQ family here in Oklahoma. My dad was in charge of all of the equipment in the 30+ stores that CH Dunn owned. CH's motherinlaw Mrs McClain purchased the franchise rights to then entrie state of Oklahoma accept the Tulsa area. CH had a daughter and a son. His son unfortunately died and I don't really know what happened to his daughter. He sold the stores to two guys from Texas and they took over and drained all of the cash out as quickly as they could forcing CH to take them back and close everything down. I suspect someone will bring the franchise back to OK when the time is right. In the meantime it's either Chickasha or Okmulgee to cure your DQ cravings.

A new DQ is going up in Mustang!!!!

I was just in Blackwell this past week and they have one that reminds me of that Tim's drive in on MacArthur. Pretty neat.... I know of one in Alva and Durant as well.

Maybe they could build a DQ at the Westgate Marketplace shopping center, or maybe put in a DQ/Julius hybrid in PS where Sara Saras is rn

A new DQ is going up in Mustang!!!!

Where in Mustang?

I work in north Okc. You know how some people call in sick when they want to take off to go do something else?. Well, I worked with a guy who craved a Brazier Burger so bad that he went to our supervisor at the time and told him, " Boss, I'm not going to lie to you, I want to take off and take my family to Chickasha to eat at the Dairy Queen.

The supervisor just shook his head and let him go.

The supervisor just shook his head and let him go.

To the store or permanently?

I work in north Okc. You know how some people call in sick when they want to take off to go do something?. Well, I worked with a guy who craved a Brazier Burger so bad that he went to our supervisor at the time and told him, " Boss, I'm not going to lie to you, I want to take off and take my family to Chickasha to eat at the Dairy Queen.

The supervisor just shook his head and let him go.

At least he was honest

To the store or permanently?

I was going to ask that too

Where in Mustang?

Wish I knew the specific address, but I don't. If I find it, I'll edit the post and be glad to share :)

I'm hoping the Mustang location is a "toes in the water" location. If it works, bet its a "first domino" in a few other locations here in the metro.

I can practically taste that Oreo Blizzard.

To the store or permanently?


Ha.. hahaha! ... I should have caught that. No, the supervisor let him take off to do his thing and he was back the next day.

Hahaha ... Good call Snowman and MonkeesFan.

A new DQ is going up in Mustang!!!!

Any update on the new DQ in Mustang?

Any update on the new DQ in Mustang?

Not yet. Need to talk to my Incredibly Secret Information Source out that way to get an update. (Translated: Need to talk to my sister-in-law. She was the one who lives in the area, had the info, knew specifically where it was going, etc.)

Not yet. Need to talk to my Incredibly Secret Information Source out that way to get an update. (Translated: Need to talk to my sister-in-law. She was the one who lives in the area, had the info, knew specifically where it was going, etc.)

I sure hope she's correct.... Chickasha is a pretty good drive just to get a Peanut Buster Parfait. :tongue:

I was just in Blackwell this past week and they have one that reminds
me of that Tim's drive in on MacArthur. Pretty neat...
I like Tim's.

Why can't we have Dairy Queen back in OKC?

I miss that place, and I don't feel like driving to Chickasha for a Blizzard. McDonald's have bootleg Blizzards.

Dairy Queens used to be everywhere, like McDonalds and Starbucks. Today they are rather few and far between. Most of the ones that are still around are together with Orange Julius. Personally I think OKC has enough greasy fast food but I can definitely understand the nostalgia of a Dairy Queen blizzard.

Dairy Queens used to be everywhere, like McDonalds and Starbucks. Today they are rather few and far between. Most of the ones that are still around are together with Orange Julius. Personally I think OKC has enough greasy fast food but I can definitely understand the nostalgia of a Dairy Queen blizzard.

Dairy Queens are much more pervasive outside Oklahoma. They're relatively easy to find as you go farther east and south.

The last DQ I visited in the broader metro area was in Norman, but it went kerflooey long ago.

Blizzards, just for the record, rock.

:D

Closest thing I have come close to a DQ Blizzard is a mix at Freddies frozen custard.

Last DQ I went to, a couple weeks ago, was in Independence, Missouri. And it was dualed with an Orange Julius, something I hadn't actually seen before. Apparently that is now a Thing, as the young folks say.

Closest thing I have come close to a DQ Blizzard is a mix at Freddies
frozen custard.
:ot:

I have an A&W mug.

:backtotop

:ot:

I have an A&W mug.

:backtotop

Is that like a glass jaw, only more so?

Dairy Queens used to be everywhere, like McDonalds and Starbucks. Today they are rather few and far between. Most of the ones that are still around are together with Orange Julius. Personally I think OKC has enough greasy fast food but I can definitely understand the nostalgia of a Dairy Queen blizzard.
They are in more small towns in Texas than Sonic, they are literally all over Texas but they also have a different menu than the rest of the country and have their own marketing division. They sell more food than ice cream there which is not the case in most of the country. Here in Colorado we have Dairy Queen stores and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill locations, the regular DQ locations don't have burgers, mainly ice cream and some sandwiches and hot dogs. The Grill & Chill locations are the ones with burgers and such. I still prefer the food at the Texas DQ's. Most of the Colorado locations have been paired up with Orange Julius already, the one in my wife's West Texas small town hasn't yet.

I still prefer the food at the Texas DQ's. Most of the Colorado locations have been paired up with Orange Julius already, the one in my wife's West Texas small town hasn't yet.

I've noticed a few along I-35 to DFW have converted to the DQ/OJ concept.

My dad was raised in Texas, and since DQ is from Texas they did appear in every small town - like Sonics in Oklahoma. In Texas they use to call DQ's 'Texas stop signs'.

Won't swear to this, but I believe I recall hearing somewhere along the way that Texas DQ's have a peculiar ownership arrangement relative to "other" DQ's in a vein similar to that of Oklahoma 7-11 stores. They share the name, a good part of the menu, but not everything; their store layouts aren't always the same, and they don't always participate in the same national promotions - kinda like how the OK 7-11's never have "Free Icy" day when "regular" 7-11's all over the U.S. have "Free Slurpee" day.

And Blizzards, for the record, rock.

Just in case I hadn't mentioned that.

:D

i'd think that anybody opening a dq franchise in okc would make a killing... not sure why nobody has jumped in on that. -M

It would take some serious money to do so. $367,317 to $172,960, plus the real property, if desired. That's for a single unit. Dairy Queen Franchise Information | Dairy Queen Ownership Cost, Requirements, & Fees (http://www.franchise.org/Dairy_Queen_franchise.aspx).

DQ always makes me think of Texasville because that was the local gathering place in that movie.

It would take some serious money to do so. $367,317 to $172,960, plus the real property, if desired. That's for a single unit. Dairy Queen Franchise Information | Dairy Queen Ownership Cost, Requirements, & Fees (http://www.franchise.org/Dairy_Queen_franchise.aspx).

Its been forever since I checked, but IIRC, that's a drop in the bucket compared to what it takes to get a McD's franchise. From what I remember, and caveat that its been a while, McD's had a franchise requirement of $1M in what they defined as liquid assets. The non-business-brain in my head says that, in effect, means you've got that kind of scratch more or less just laying around, or can convert it readily.

It would take some serious money to do so. $367,317 to $172,960, plus the real property, if desired. That's for a single unit. Dairy Queen Franchise Information | Dairy Queen Ownership Cost, Requirements, & Fees (http://www.franchise.org/Dairy_Queen_franchise.aspx).


Its been forever since I checked, but IIRC, that's a drop in the bucket compared to what it takes to get a McD's franchise. From what I remember, and caveat that its been a while, McD's had a franchise requirement of $1M in what they defined as liquid assets. The non-business-brain in my head says that, in effect, means you've got that kind of scratch more or less just laying around, or can convert it readily.

lol.... I was about to say that it seems ridiculously cheap to open a DQ... Relatively speaking, of course.

I've noticed a few along I-35 to DFW have converted to the DQ/OJ concept.
I think they are slowing integrating them in Texas, West Texas will probably be a bit slower to adopt it than the larger cities.


My dad was raised in Texas, and since DQ is from Texas they did appear in every small town - like Sonics in Oklahoma. In Texas they use to call DQ's 'Texas stop signs'.
Dairy Queen started in Joliet, Illinois and is now based out of Minnesota (and owned by Berkshire-Hathaway). Texas does have the most DQ locations and were active in franchising in even the small towns that many national chains avoided. The Texas franchise owners have their own marketing arm to go along with the menu, The Texas Dairy Queen Operators' Council.

Won't swear to this, but I believe I recall hearing somewhere along the way that Texas DQ's have a peculiar ownership arrangement relative to "other" DQ's in a vein similar to that of Oklahoma 7-11 stores. They share the name, a good part of the menu, but not everything; their store layouts aren't always the same, and they don't always participate in the same national promotions - kinda like how the OK 7-11's never have "Free Icy" day when "regular" 7-11's all over the U.S. have "Free Slurpee" day.

And Blizzards, for the record, rock.

Just in case I hadn't mentioned that.

:D

The Texas DQ's have their own website as well.

3397 Landing Page (http://www.dqtexas.com)

DQ Corporate has been trying to impose design standards on all the stores including the ones in Texas, some have accepted it and some have fought them. The Austin stores that we went to had changed but I know the one in Monahans has not. All Texas DQ stores are franchises, the TDQOC operates the Texas DQ website and controls much of the menu.

DQ Corporate has been trying to impose design standards on all the stores
including the ones in Texas, some have accepted it and some have fought
them.
There's a DQ just west of Pecos, NM. I make it a point to visit.

McDonald's looks to a potential franchisee for 20-to-40 percent of the total investment. Generally speaking: $750,000 liquid, Acquiring a Franchise :: AboutMcDonalds.com (http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/franchising/us_franchising/aquiring_a_franchise.html), which makes the Dairy Queen "upfront" investment of $367,317 to $172,960 fairly reasonable.
However, in neither case is that the total investment, and the franchisee would finance the remainder. In a market the size of the Oklahoma City metro area, I believe to make an impact it would take a minimum of four-to-six locations, "rolled out" in a six-to-18-month period of time to have critical market synergy and take advantage of the advertising royalty trust "pool."

After leaving the watermelon fest in Rush Springs on way back to OKC we stop by the Dairy Queen. Can't believe no DQ in OKC maybe Braums is trying to make sure they have no comp.

Braum's and DQ co-existed for years until the Dunn family sold out to someone who ran them into the ground. Franchising can be a good/bad thing, up here right now the Steak 'n Shake franchise has been cut off from S'nS corporate and the lawsuits are plentiful. It seems the franchise owner violated the agreement in terms of pricing and feels they "were deceived" in the profitability of the franchise they bought from the person who originally started the franchise here. It looks to me like they didn't do their due diligence, which can happen in reverse like it did with Dunn's DQ.

After leaving the watermelon fest in Rush Springs on way back to OKC we stop by the Dairy Queen. Can't believe no DQ in OKC maybe Braums is trying to make sure they have no comp.

Braums and Dairy Queen are similar but not exactly the same. If the two were side by side on any given street in the OKC metro. Both would do just fine. Kind of like KFC and Church's both have their own loyal customers.

They used to be all over the metro, on at Sunnylane and SE 44th street I remember. Also on Midwest Blvd. South of Reno. (East side of Midwest Blvd).

They are building 5 new DQ's in the metro design is already underway.

WHAT. Details, please.

They are building 5 new DQ's in the metro design is already underway.

Okay, you can't just post something like that and not give details. Details, details, details, or we'll smear your car with soft-serve :)

Braums and Dairy Queen are similar but not exactly the same. If the two were side by side on any given street in the OKC metro. Both would do just fine. Kind of like KFC and Church's both have their own loyal customers.

I guess I realize that in practical terms DQ and Braums are generally competitors, but in conceptual terms I sure don't think of them that way. I think of Braums as much for a place for milk, ice, and limited groceries as I do for ice cream. Beyond that, I find myself with differing appetites when it comes to "regular" ice cream a la Braums and DQ's brand of softserve. I think of DQ for specialty items like Blizzards.

And, Blizzards, just for the record, rock. :)

They are building 5 new DQ's in the metro design is already underway.

Let me guess:

19th street in Moore.
UNP Norman
I-40 and McArthur
29th and Air Dept Midwest City
NW Expy / May

Okay, you can't just post something like that and not give details. Details, details, details, or we'll smear your car with soft-serve :)

If you do that, please tell me ahead of time

#5secondruledevotee

Saw DQ in Broken Arrow on Saturday. Looked new.

If you Google DQ in Oklahoma City, there are pointers to an Orange Julius in QSM. I don't go to QMS regularly (at all, but not due to any code or restriction -- it's just not on my radar), so I don't know if the Orange Julius there offers any DQ stuff. I wonder if this "5 DQ expansion" involves 5 OJ conversions.

Saw DQ in Broken Arrow on Saturday. Looked new.
It just opened a few months ago.

I guess I realize that in practical terms DQ and Braums are generally competitors, but in conceptual terms I sure don't think of them that way. I think of Braums as much for a place for milk, ice, and limited groceries as I do for ice cream. Beyond that, I find myself with differing appetites when it comes to "regular" ice cream a la Braums and DQ's brand of softserve. I think of DQ for specialty items like Blizzards.

And, Blizzards, just for the record, rock. :)
Same here, they are different types of "ice cream" for times you want something different. In Austin we split going out for ice cream between DQ, Amy's and Freddie's/Culvers for custard. Up here we do a similar split between DQ, Marble Slab and Bonnie Brae Ice Cream (http://bonniebraeicecream.com/), an old fashioned ice cream place that has been in Denver for a long time. I still wish we had Braum's up here, we stop there in Amarillo on the way to West Texas or when we are back in OKC. When we are driving we pack a cooler to bring milk and stuff back.

I seen the plans a few months ago in the plan rooms there were 5 of them in the metro Moore, and Norman for sure didnt really pay attention where the others were slated for.

Read some info from the City of Moore FB page that they are close to striking a deal with Dairy Queen to build in Moore.

Because the last two DQ's in Moore did so well I guess?

Perhaps they have a better location and/or just feel that it's impossible to reach a fast food saturation point in Moore with the rate at which restaurants keep getting built..