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Dairy Queen

Quick-service restaurant serving ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken

Ice cream manufacturer JF McCullough was experimenting with a recipe for a new frozen dairy product, stemming from his belief that ice cream tasted better when it was soft and served fresh from the freezer, not frozen solid. With his recipe perfected, McCullough and his son Alex approached one of their customers about holding an introductory sale of the new soft ice cream. At the first sale, more than 1,600 people lined up to try the new ice cream.

Based on that initial success, the McCulloughs opened the first Dairy Queen location in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois. The first stores sold only soft-serve ice cream--in sundaes, take-home pints and quarts, and cones--but over the years, a variety of ice cream treats were added to the menu, such as banana splits and Dilly Bars.

In the 1950s, some Dairy Queens began serving hot food items. Today, stores systemwide have menus that include hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken strips through Dairy Queen's Brazier concept. Franchisees can operate a Dairy Queen with or without a Brazier. The company also offers its Treat Center concept, a store that sells items from the three franchise companies it owns--Dairy Queen, Orange Julius and Karmelkorn.

Please Note: The operators of Dairy Queen, may not have verified the accuracy of the Franchise information contained within this website. For accurate up-to-date information, customers are strongly recommended to visit the official Dairy Queen website.

Start-up Costs & Franchises Fees

How much does it cost to open a Dairy Queen Franchises?

Total Investment: $655,000-$1,300,000
Initial Franchise Fee: $20,000-$35,000
Royalty Fee: 4-5%
Advertising Fee:
Term of Agreement: Varies

How to contact Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen News

Dairy Queen Launches Sweet Deal Game
Dairy Queen today unveiled an online game to support the treat category leader's recently introduced Sweet Deals, a new permanent value menu. The game is live at DQ.com. "With people at home more often in this economy, casual games are increasing in popularity so the online game environme... more

Dairy Queen Turns To Value Menu
Dairy Queen has announced that all of its DQ Grill & Chill and Dairy Queen/Brazier locations are adding a new permanent value menu. The Sweet Deals value menu allows customers to mix and match nine menu items, choosing two for $3, three for $4 or four for $5. In all, customers will have more tha... more

Controversy Rises Over Dq Opening In Downtown Stillwater
The community known for its historic downtown and quaint antique shops approved a Dairy Queen on Main Street and its upset some shop owners and residents who said it will detract from the charm of Stillwater. "It's going to effect my business in a negative way," said business owner Sh... more

Franchise Rules Could Be A Business-buster
The world's richest man is making Mohammad Dar miserable. Dar, who 18 years ago paid $125,000 for a Dairy Queen franchise in Kemah, has never met Warren Buffett. It's a safe bet that Buffett, whose fortune recently was pegged at $62 billion, has never heard of Mohammad Dar but, in a wa... more

You're Hired!
Jackie Preston, a resident of Eden Prairie, now personally has heard the famous Donald Trump phrase, "You’re hired!" She has been voted the first-ever Dairy Queen® Blizzard® apprentice. As the new Blizzard apprentice, Preston receives a $50,000 cash signing bonus, an appearance in a n... more

View all Dairy Queen Press Releases

Franchise History

When did the first Dairy Queen open? 1940
When did Dairy Queen start Franchising? 1944

Year	U.S.A.	Canada	International	Corporate
2004	4803	570	327	65
2003	4839	564	326	66
2002	4912	546	281	65
2001	4947	544	313	62
2000	5042	538	333	59

Expansion Plans

International:

Financing Options

Expense	In-House	Third Party
Franchise Fee	No	No
Startup Costs	No	No
Equipment	No	No
Inventory	No	No
Accounts Receivable	No	No
Payroll	No	No

Training & Support

Support
Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives

Marketing
Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising

Business Operations

International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20 - 40

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

Qualifications & Business Experience

Business Experience:

Industry experience

General business experience

1 Other Franchises in this Family

• Orange Julius of America

Related Franchise Categories

• Hamburgers/Hot Dogs Franchise Opportunities
• Ice Cream, Yogurt & Smoothies Franchise Opportunities
• Franchises $500K to $1 Million

Listing Tags

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Read Dairy Queen Reviews

Legal Disclaimer: This information is not a franchise offering for Dairy Queen and should not be construed as such. TheFranchiseMall.com makes every effort to maintain accurate franchise data but does not guarantee nor assume liability for incorrect data. We recommend that anyone seriously interested in pursuing a Dairy Queen franchise opportunity, review that franchise's Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) with an attorney and accountant.