Dairy Queen is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast-food restaurants since 1940.

The soft-serve formula was first developed in 1938 by John Fremont "J.F." "Grandpa" McCullough and his son Alex. They convinced friend and loyal customer Sherb Noble to offer the product in his ice cream store in Kankakee, Illinois. On the first day of sales, Noble dished out more than 1,600 servings of the new dessert within two hours. Noble and the McCulloughs went on to open the first Dairy Queen store on June 22, 1940, in Joliet, Illinois. While this Dairy Queen has not been in operation since the 1950s, the building still stands at 501 N Chicago Street as a city-designated landmark.

Since 1940, the chain has used a franchise system to expand its operations globally from ten stores in 1941 to more than 7,000 locations in the United States, Canada and more than 20 other countries.

A popular Dairy Queen item is the Blizzard, which is soft-serve mechanically blended with mix-in ingredients such as sundae toppings and/or pieces of cookies, brownies, or candy. It has been a staple on the menu since its introduction in 1985, a year in which Dairy Queen sold more than 100 million Blizzards. Popular flavors include Oreo cookies, mint Oreo, chocolate chip cookie dough, M&M's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Heath Bar, and Butterfinger. Seasonal flavors are also available such as October's pumpkin pie and June's cotton candy.

This DQ Grill & Chill location features hot food, treats, and self-serve soft drinks.

The first DQ® restaurant was located in Joliet, Illinois. It was operated by Sherb Noble and opened for business on June 22, 1940. The first Canadian DQ® store opened in Estevan, Saskatchewan in 1953.

The DQ® system has more than 6,000 locations operating throughout the United States, Canada and over 20 other countries.

DQ® Mission Statement

To create positive memories for all who touch DQ®

DQ® Vision Statement

DQ® - the world's favorite quick service restaurant.

Our Story

· 1940: First Dairy Queen® restaurant opens in Joliet, Illinois.

· 1949: Malts and shakes debut.

· 1951: Banana splits appear on the menu.

· 1953: First Dairy Queen restaurant opens in Canada.

· 1955: The Dilly® Bar debuts.

· 1957: The Dairy Queen Brazier® concept is introduced.

· 1959: First Dairy Queen restaurant opens in Panama.

· 1962: International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) is formed.

· 1968: The Buster Bar® Treat appears on the menu.

· 1971: Peanut Buster® Parfait debuts on the menu.

· 1979: First Dairy Queen restaurant opens in the Middle East.

· 1984: Partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Children’s Miracle Network begins.

· 1985: Blizzard® Treats are introduced.

· 1988: IDQ purchases Orange Julius® Brand

· 1991: First Dairy Queen restaurant opens in Mexico.

· 1992: First Dairy Queen restaurant opens in China.

· 1995: DQ Treatzza Pizza® and Chicken Strip Basket debut.

· 1998: IDQ acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

· 2003: The Blizzard of the Month program kicks off.

· 2005: GrillBurgers are introduced.

· 2006: First Miracle Treat Day in Canada and the U.S.

· 2010: Mini Blizzard Treats are introduced.

· 2015: The DQ system celebrates its 75th Fanniversary.

· 2018: DQ mobile app launches.

· 2019: First DQ restaurant with the Next Gen design opens.

· 2020: The Non-Dairy Dilly® Bar debuts.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation and Dairy Queen Canada, Inc. Through its subsidiaries, IDQ develops, licenses and services a system of more than 7,000 locations in the United States, Canada and more than 20 other countries. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire.