What happened to Dairy Queen??
Erich S Houchens
It seems that several (if not all) of their stores here in the Fort
Worth side of the Metroplex have closed. I recently came back from a
trip back east to visit the relatives and noticed that all the DQ's in
New Jersey and Maryland are doing just fine. Did a franchisee go under
or is DQ doing a Winn-Dixie and leaving the area?? Heck, if you can't
make money selling ice cream here in the HOT Texas simmer heat, your
obviously doing something wrong...
--
Erich S Houchens
Fort Worth, Texas
John Willis
In the latest Texas Monthly there's an interesting article about D.Q.
They are closing some locations but by no means all of them. The
article also states that the D.Q. chain in Texas is kind of a seperate
entity from the rest of the country with its own menu and decor
options. Fun article, give it a read...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Willis
jdwi...@airmail.net
For Sale
In small Texas towns you give directions by the DQ... "Go down the road for a bit and turn left at
the DQ..."
"Erich S Houchens" <eshou...@charter.net> wrote in message news:3CF6978E...@charter.net...
Brian Baresch
Seems like I just went past one today or yesterday. Can't remember
exactly where, but I think it was along 183 south of Camp Bowie West.
Could be wrong though. Didn't look obviously like a DQ at first until
I saw the logos.
--
Brian P. Baresch
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Professional editing and proofreading
If you're going through hell, keep going. --Winston Churchill
The Family
"For Sale" <fs...@kerber-family.net> wrote in message
news:vGzJ8.623$iM.272...@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com...
> The one here in McKinney is still open. And last time I was in Tyler, they
were open there.
>
> In small Texas towns you give directions by the DQ... "Go down the road
for a bit and turn left at
> the DQ..."
>
LOL....
Brian McDaniels
incorporated town, city, village, etc. in Texas had to have at least one DQ or
it would not be recognized as such.
Shane Crowe
"Brian McDaniels" <mcbr...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:3CF6E740...@charter.net...
> When I moved to Texas some years ago I was told it was a state law that
any
> incorporated town, city, village, etc. in Texas had to have at least one
DQ or
> it would not be recognized as such.
>
Plano they've got to do better because one DQ on Ave K isn't enough.
I wish DQ was more prevalent. They have the best ice cream out of all the
fast food places. Oh, and I HATE braum's - die die die!!!
Tony Brightwell
bar...@REMOOVDIS.earthlink.net says...
> >Anyone out there know what happened to the Dairy Queen chain??
>
> Seems like I just went past one today or yesterday. Can't remember
> exactly where, but I think it was along 183 south of Camp Bowie West.
> Could be wrong though. Didn't look obviously like a DQ at first until
> I saw the logos.
>
>
I think it's been closed for about 4 months now.
Amy
>
> In small Texas towns you give directions by the DQ... "Go down the road for a bit and turn left at
> the DQ..."
>
I was talking to a guy a long time ago who said to me, "I'm from
Columbus, TX. You probably don't know where that is."
To which I replied, "Of course I do, that's where we stop at the Dairy
Queen on the way to Austin."
I noticed on a trip to Harlingen(10 years ago), that the closer you
get to the border, the more tex-mex items on the menu. In Beaumont
they only had tacos and taco salads, but by the time you got to the
valley, they had burritos and gorditas and several other things as
well.
Braum's has always been bigger in North Texas than DQ, but if you go
just a little bit south of the metroplex, the Braums disappear and all
of the little towns have DQ.
jon
"For Sale" <fs...@kerber-family.net> wrote in
news:vGzJ8.623$iM.272...@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com:
jon
news:8af53531.02053...@posting.google.com:
> I was talking to a guy a long time ago who said to me, "I'm from
> Columbus, TX. You probably don't know where that is."
>
> To which I replied, "Of course I do, that's where we stop at the Dairy
> Queen on the way to Austin."
>
> I noticed on a trip to Harlingen(10 years ago), that the closer you
> get to the border, the more tex-mex items on the menu. In Beaumont
> they only had tacos and taco salads, but by the time you got to the
> valley, they had burritos and gorditas and several other things as
> well.
>
> Braum's has always been bigger in North Texas than DQ, but if you go
> just a little bit south of the metroplex, the Braums disappear and all
> of the little towns have DQ.
Which makes sense if you know that Braum's started in Oklahoma (you know-
God's county!)
And the lack of chocolate soft freeze at DQ has always been a mystery to
us. Must be another one of those "Only in Texas" thangs!
-J-
Randal Chapman
>
> I wish DQ was more prevalent. They have the best ice cream out of all the
> fast food places. Oh, and I HATE braum's - die die die!!!
Ok, I'll bite ... Why do you hate Braum's?
For Sale
www.dqtexas.com and the McKinney one isn't listed.
Here's the TEXAS DQ story: http://www.dqtexas.com/story.html
jon
news:82f33a89.02053...@posting.google.com:
Same question to Shane. What's up with you and Braum's?
I think that MOST Braum's are cleaner, have better food, and better tasting
ice cream than MOST DQ's. Your mileage may vary, and specific stores might
not follow this trend.
Oh, and a Braum's chicken fried steak sandwich used to be part of my
regular diet. Yummmm! Maybe for supper tonight!
-J-
Steve Silberberg
wrote:
>I wish DQ was more prevalent. They have the best ice cream out of all the
>fast food places. Oh, and I HATE braum's - die die die!!!
I just moved away from Dallas to Hull, MA (a beach town south of
Boston). I can't quite wean myself from dfw.eats yet, but I must say
-- Nona's Homemade Ice Cream on Nantasket Beach blows away any ice
cream place in Dallas including Henry's, Marble Slab, DQ, Braum's etc.
Now if I could just find a place here that serves unsweetened tea or
gives beverage refills, I'd be in heaven.
Shane Crowe
"Randal Chapman" <fran...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:82f33a89.02053...@posting.google.com...
I've never tried the non ice cream food their (same goes for DQ). The one
close to my house has ice cream that has always tasted like cardboard the
times I've been there. Maybe it was freezer burnt or something. I've never
seen , heard about, or tasted anything at Braum's that could remotely
compare to a DQ blizzard.
ChairMan
"Steve Silberberg" <steve.si...@alum.mit.edu> wrote in message
news:sq5gfug7fqv309vnk...@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 31 May 2002 03:30:50 GMT, "Shane Crowe" <nob...@nowhere.net>
> wrote:
>
> >I wish DQ was more prevalent. They have the best ice cream out of all the
> >fast food places. Oh, and I HATE braum's - die die die!!!
>
> I just moved away from Dallas to Hull, MA (a beach town south of
> Boston).
My condolences<g>
tribal...@earthlink.net
Sat, 01 Jun 2002 00:37:03 GMT:
I noticed that about the east coast. My roommate and I went on a trip
through the northeast and though we didn't know it at the time, my friend
was developing diabetes on the trip. He was drinking like a whale and
urinating like Old Faithful. The two main things he noticed on the trip:
1. Business operations on the east coast don't like customers who request
to use the restroom.
2. You must request your tea unsweetened.
Damaeus
--
To: Blockbuster Video - This petition is meant to show Blockbuster Video that the DVD community does want rent and/or purchase widescreen DVDs. The film studios actually listen to Blockbuster, and if they see that Blockbuster is only stocking Full Frame DVDs, it could ruin the entire DVD format for those who enjoy true film.
tribal...@earthlink.net
2002 17:48:39 -0500:
> They are closing some locations but by no means all of them. The
> article also states that the D.Q. chain in Texas is kind of a seperate
> entity from the rest of the country with its own menu and decor
> options. Fun article, give it a read...
The two Dairy Queens in the town I live in certainly have their own decor.
Mildew, cockroaches, painted bricks and urine damage on the bathroom floors.
I have *NEVER* been in a clean Dairy Queen, nor was I ever in a clean
Starks. The Dairy Queens in Louisiana were all called Starks before they
were called Dairy Queen Brassiere... or was that Brazier? The employees
have always been gross looking, greasy people.
Anyway, perhaps the newer ones are not quite so nasty, but every time
someone suggests Dairy Queen for lunch, I think about things like dysentery,
hepatitis, syphilis, oral herpes, bacteria, rats, tapeworms, parasites,
flies, roaches, etc.... Perhaps when I move back to Dallas in the next few
weeks I'll check out a newer Dairy Queen. The ones in this area (East
Texas) are truly disgusting.
tribal...@earthlink.net
May 2002 22:00:16 -0500:
> When I moved to Texas some years ago I was told it was a state law that any
> incorporated town, city, village, etc. in Texas had to have at least one DQ or
> it would not be recognized as such.
There are two Dairy Queens in this town of about 7000 people, and they've
both been here for a long time, at least since 1981 when I was 11 and moved
here with my parents -- and it was old and decrepit then. Word has it that
one Dairy Queen was for the white people, and the other one was for the
people "across the tracks" to put it nicely. Of course, nowadays people go
to both, but back then, things were segregated -- even the schools.
tribal...@earthlink.net
2002 01:21:31 GMT:
> I've never tried the non ice cream food their (same goes for DQ). The one
> close to my house has ice cream that has always tasted like cardboard the
> times I've been there. Maybe it was freezer burnt or something. I've never
> seen , heard about, or tasted anything at Braum's that could remotely
> compare to a DQ blizzard.
IMHO, the Sonic Blast beats the DQ Blizzard and the McDonald's Flurry or
whatever they call it, all to hell. But...one word of warning. As I
mentioned in a previous message in this thread, some days you get good ice
cream at Sonic and some days you get bad ice cream. Or perhaps it's the
locations. I used to get the Sonic Blast at the Sonic in Center, Texas, and
it was the best. I got one in Virginia and it wasn't that great. The ice
cream was very weak and sort of foamy like it had been whipped to death with
air.
Also, not all Sonics carry the Sonic Blast. For the longest time, the Sonic
in Center carried it, but the one in Carthage TX didn't, nor did the ones in
Shreveport LA. Then I went through southern Oklahoma and found them on the
menu there.
:-)
tribal...@earthlink.net
May 2002 19:03:20 GMT:
> I think that MOST Braum's are cleaner, have better food, and better tasting
> ice cream than MOST DQ's. Your mileage may vary, and specific stores might
> not follow this trend.
I like Braum's burgers, but their ice cream sucks as much as Dairy Queen's
ice cream. However, the last few times I've eaten at Braum's the burgers
were not cooked all the way through and that's nasty. No, my burger didn't
MOO at me, but it was sure twitching a little.
tribal...@earthlink.net
30 May 2002 16:20:14 -0500:
Well, first of all, Dairy Queen has the nastiest ice cream on the planet. I
think it's made out of water and powdered milk only. It's not even sweet
and it makes me foam at the mouth. I think it's chemical sludge. It's
probably grey when it's mixed and they add Liquid Paper to make it white. I
don't know what they do, but it's really gross ice cream.
Now sometimes Sonic has good ice cream, and I stress "sometimes". I can
tell if it's going to be good before I even taste it. If the ice cream is
white, it's going to be nasty. If the ice cream kind of a dark, buttery
color, then it's going to be wonderful -- at least as wonderful as you can
get with soft serve ice cream. When I was in jr. high school, there was an
ice cream machine. For like a dollar, you could get soft serve ice cream in
a cup. Some days it was a very white color and it was nasty. Other days it
was a darker color and it was much sweeter and very enjoyable -- even as
enjoyable as home made ice cream. I think they must have watered it down
some days, or if not water, just plain milk. Perhaps DQ does the same
thing.
Lastly, ice cream is the last thing I want in hot weather. I prefer Pina
Colada snow cones topped with a blast of strawberry (shaved ice ones). I
prefer ice cream in winter.
Brian Baresch
You were speculating about what's in DQ's soft serve, next time you're
at Sonic take a close look at the dessert menu. No reference to dairy
at all if it's like the last one I stopped at. The words "ice cream",
"ice milk" and all similar terms do not appear. Makes me wonder what
*is* in it. (I've heard of soft serve somewhere being made partly out
of lard. <shiver>)
G Thurman
<tribal...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:7s6hfuct1vska8n2i...@tribal.zidane...
> tell if it's going to be good before I even taste it. If the ice cream is
> white, it's going to be nasty. If the ice cream kind of a dark, buttery
> color, then it's going to be wonderful -- at least as wonderful as you can
> get with soft serve ice cream.
The soft ice cream at Jason's Deli has that coarse sugar flavor; preferred
by the wife and I. Only other place we've found it is at Rocky's Noodle
Factory if Arlington, TX.
tribal...@earthlink.net
2002 11:45:59 -0500:
Wow! Thanks for the tip! I'm going to try it the next time I have a
chance. :-D
Margaret Phillips
all of his locations. Ironically, it was within a week of the Mark Cuban
"working" at DQ for a day after saying that NBA refs weren't qualified to
work at DQ.
The one on 183 (Southwest Blvd.) east of the traffic circle was one of the
ones that closed. It looks like it's going to reopen as a Burger Barn. The
only DQ I know that's open on the west side is on Montgomery between I-30
and the Museum of Science and History.
"Erich S Houchens" <eshou...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:3CF6978E...@charter.net...
> Anyone out there know what happened to the Dairy Queen chain??
>
> It seems that several (if not all) of their stores here in the Fort
> Worth side of the Metroplex have closed. I recently came back from a
> trip back east to visit the relatives and noticed that all the DQ's in
> New Jersey and Maryland are doing just fine. Did a franchisee go under
> or is DQ doing a Winn-Dixie and leaving the area?? Heck, if you can't
> make money selling ice cream here in the HOT Texas simmer heat, your
> obviously doing something wrong...
>
>
>
Erich S Houchens
http://www.dqtexas.com . So I did and along with the list of locations
(many of which are now closed) it listed a contact E-mail address. So,
asking the same question I asked here, this is the response I got -
Note: I've edited out the DQ spokenmans E-mail address and phone number
for posting the USENET
<copy and paste>
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Why are all the DQ's in Fort Worth closing??
Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 14:29:13 -0500
From: "Larry Newell" <xxxxx...@dqtexas.com>
To: "Erich S Houchens" <eshou...@charter.net>
Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, a franchisee that operated nearly
50 DQ locations did experience financial difficulties. Many of his locations
were primarily in small West Texas towns and in the Fort Worth/Tarrant
Country area. Based on information I've been provided, several of the
locations were not profitable...due in part to the fact that shifting
traffic patterns and changing customer demographics adversely effected
certain locations. Accordingly, the decision was made to close approximately
20 locations, some in Tarrant County and others in West Texas.
It is our hope and plan that new or existing franchisees will open new
locations in this area. The timing of new locations is not definite, but it
is likely over the next several months. DQ is definitely not pulling out of
the Fort Worth area.
I hope this answers your question. We appreciate your concern and your
business.
Sincerely,
Larry Newell
Texas Dairy Queen Operators' Council
817.xxx.xxxx
xxxxxx...@dqtexas.com
</copy and paste>
So there, mystery solved.
I still prefer DQ's ice cream over Braum's and well as "Dip Top's" (soft
serve ice cream dipped in chocolate or strawberry) which is something
Braum's doesn't have.
Oh well.
--
Erich S Houchens
Fort Worth, Texas
eshou...@charter.net
AOL IM: RRspatch ICQ: 172674
DiggerDog
It's just sweet.
Makes me think they are determined
to sell you a topping, or else.
Nate
two DQs in the Fort Worth area folded. Ten or so of them were owned by
the same company that gave it up altogether. The two remaining are in
Haltom City and Bedford. This saddens me because growing up where I
did, DQ was about it in terms of eating out. DQ has the nostalgic
value that Braum's lacks. I guess I should have stopped in at my local
DQ more often...
I was at the DQ in McKinney last week. It was clean, the burger was
good, the vanilla Coke was mixed just right, and the guy at the
counter was refreshingly outgoing, cheerful and courteous. I didn't
catch his name, but his demeanor alone made me glad I stopped in.
Nate.
Shane Crowe
<tribal...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:s08hfuos00n88ch84...@tribal.zidane...
> IMHO, the Sonic Blast beats the DQ Blizzard and the McDonald's Flurry or
> whatever they call it, all to hell. But...one word of warning. As I
> mentioned in a previous message in this thread, some days you get good ice
> cream at Sonic and some days you get bad ice cream. Or perhaps it's the
> locations.
Definitely. I've never tried the blast, but I've tried a milkshake a few
times at my local sonic. Every time it tasted more like finely shaved ice
(maybe like an icee) with powdered milk. Each time, I could only stand a few
sips before throwing it in the trash.
Nada
which is just NW of Fort Worth. I drove past it the other day, its run down
but still open.
"Nate" <nlc...@cowtown.net> wrote in message
news:3cfcff67...@news.cowtown.net...
patrice
>
> "Nate" <nlc...@cowtown.net> wrote in message
> news:3cfcff67...@news.cowtown.net...
>
>>An article in this past Sunday's Startlegram indicated that all but
>>two DQs in the Fort Worth area folded. Ten or so of them were owned by
>>the same company that gave it up altogether. The two remaining are in
>>Haltom City and Bedford. This saddens me because growing up where I
>>did, DQ was about it in terms of eating out. DQ has the nostalgic
>>value that Braum's lacks. I guess I should have stopped in at my local
>>DQ more often...
>>
>>I was at the DQ in McKinney last week. It was clean, the burger was
>>good, the vanilla Coke was mixed just right, and the guy at the
>>counter was refreshingly outgoing, cheerful and courteous. I didn't
>>catch his name, but his demeanor alone made me glad I stopped in.
>>
>>Nate.
>>
>
>
We often go to the DQ on Valwood almost at I 35 in Farmers Branch. There
are always cars out in front, as well as, in the drive-through.
Admittedly, all we've ever had there are blizzards (been a few years on
the blizzards) and dip cones. "Our lady" wasn't used to our newer car
and appologized for not recognizing us (all we've ever ordered from her
are dip cones). The place has that down home kinda feel to it. There's a
big sign on the front window that says: "Tuesday, Hamburger Soup Nite" -
gee, if I only ate meat.
patrice
jazzyjohn
> Anyone out there know what happened to the Dairy Queen chain??
>
roadsite DQs have closed. Observations:
Southlake--gone in the wake of the 114 freeway construction
Rhome--couldn't tell but I think it was still there
Decatur--the one remaining on the right is still open
Bowie & Henrietta--didn't see those since I stayed on 287 instead of
going into town
Wichita Falls (Windthorst Rd. exit)--gone; a new big Exxon convenience
store there now
Wichita Falls (Maurine St. exit)--closed; now a "Waffle Time"
Iowa Park & Electra--didn't see those since I stayed on 287 instead of
going into town
Vernon--closed, now an Asian place
Chillicothe--still there, but no one around; nothing said "closed" or
"for sale"
Quanah--closed
Childress--open
Memphis--closed
Clarendon--open
Amarillo--a vintage one at 16th and Washington closed due to the
acreage being cramped there, but a new one at I-40 and Washington has
opened
One thing I've noticed in these examples particularly as well as
overall, there is also new competition in some DQ-served markets.
Sonic has made big inroads along 287, most notably in Memphis, where
there is a new combo Exxon/Sonic (the first one of those I've ever
seen). Jack-in-the-Box is coming to new towns too, 2 of which (Athens
and Jacksonville) have since seen the loss of each town's Burger King
locations. Other posts have mentioned Braum's--several new ones have
come into north Texas. Growing up in east Texas, I saw DQ as a staple
in many towns, but with the growth of other chains, I don't know how
long DQ can hold up long-term without more $$ and attention from their
franchisees. Some small towns (Athens at 11,000/Jacksonville at
13,000) have 2 DQs while most other fast food brands have just one
location. Another town, Rusk (5,000 pop) has 6 other fast food brands
yet still holds on to it's Dairy Queen.
JC
news:4c690869.0206...@posting.google.com...
That's interesting about the ones along 287. The
Henrietta/Chillicothe/Childress/Quanah ones were ownd by Richeson
Restaurants out of Graham, TX [population 8000]. I used to live there
[Graham] and they have two DQs there still. Richeson used to own about 40
DQs around the state and a local motel, restaurant and private club. The DQs
were as far SW as Big Lake and up North as far as Childress.
One interesting thing that happened when a McDonalds moved into Graham,
right next to Richeson's Gateway Inn Motel. They erected a HUGE sign to try
and dwarf the tall Golden Arches[tm] sign next door. The only fast food
places there are the KFC/Taco Bell, Sonic, McDonalds, DQ, Subway and the
WhatABurger. Isn't it a rule that every small town must have a WhatABurger
too?
Amy
As far as I know, DQ is the only requirement.
Shirley Smith
Park Blvd. Seems pretty busy most of the time.
Shirley
--
Shirley Smith
Plano, TX
fo...@airmail.net
ICQ 78482439
I wasn't born in TEXAS, but I got here as fast as I could.
"Amy" <ato...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8af53531.02062...@posting.google.com...