By BRENDA WINN
NEWS EDITOR
On Friday, Feb. 10, the Canton Dairy Queen, located on Gouverneur Street, became a DQ Grill and Chill restaurant, and is now open year-round. In addition to extending its season, the restaurant has expanded its menu beyond just ice cream. As a now certified DQ Grill and Chill location, the establishment serves hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken strips, and other fast food items. The building underwent moderate renovation to allow for this change to take place.
As a now certified DQ Grill and Chill location, the establishment serves hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken strips, and other fast food items. The building underwent moderate renovation to allow for this change to take place.
Restaurant equipment to accommodate the new menu was updated, and the interior of the restaurant received slight upgrades to allow for patrons to eat their meals and ice cream treats inside the building.
Additionally, new signage for the franchise was installed, announcing the change from simple ice cream shop to full blown DQ Grill and Chill restaurant.
The first Dairy Queen store was opened more than 75 years ago in 1940, according to The Chicago Tribune. The original shop is in Joliet, Illinois and was opened by John Fremont McCullough, who first developed the recipe for the soft serve, and Sherb Noble, a town businessman who first sold McCullough’s ice cream. This store is no longer operational, but the building is preserved and stands as a city-designated landmark.
According to Hoovers, a data analysis company for businesses, there were over 6,400 Dairy Queen stores globally, with 4,500 of those, 70%, located in North America at the close of the 2014 fiscal year.
The standard Dairy Queen store offers a limited menu that is mainly comprised of frozen treats and is commonly only open during the spring and summer. These commonly have no seating areas, and patrons order their ice cream through windows from workers who prepare the treats indoors and then pass them through the windows to the customer.
The Dairy Queen Brazier name was originated in 1957. This is the standard, icon Dairy Queen store, with the red roof and signature logo. A Brazier is an open charcoal grill, and in the year 1957, Jim Cruikshank witnessed flames rising from one of these grills. The concept of a Dairy Queen Brazier was to develop a standardized food system, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Starting in 1993, the name “Brazier” has been slowly phased out from signage and advertising for the company. Beginning in 2001, larger, Brazier style Dairy Queen restaurants were given the name of DQ Grill and Chill. This was the new concept for new and renovated full-service restaurants, according to The Chicago Tribune. At these restaurants, customers place orders at the counter and offer expanded menus of burgers, grilled sandwiches, salads, and self-serve soft drink fountains. Many older stores are now upgrading to this new Grill and Chill format.
The upgraded DQ Grill and Chill offers a new venue for food in Canton, a town that cannot seem to keep any restaurant in business nowadays. It will be interesting to see if the appeal of the famous Dairy Queen ice cream will be able to keep this restaurant afloat. Certainly, SLU students will patronize the location, so hopefully they will be able to stay open.
As an enthusiast and expert in the realm of fast-food establishments, particularly the evolution and diversification of iconic brands like Dairy Queen, I bring a wealth of knowledge to shed light on the transformation of the Canton Dairy Queen into a DQ Grill and Chill restaurant.
First and foremost, the evidence of my expertise lies in the detailed understanding of the Dairy Queen brand evolution. The article mentions that the Canton Dairy Queen has become a certified DQ Grill and Chill location. This transformation signifies a shift beyond the traditional model of a seasonal ice cream shop to a year-round establishment offering a more extensive menu, including hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken strips, and other fast-food items.
To facilitate this change, the building underwent moderate renovations, encompassing updates to restaurant equipment to accommodate the new menu and slight upgrades to the interior to create a comfortable dining space for patrons. The installation of new franchise signage is also mentioned, marking a visible transition from a simple ice cream shop to a full-fledged DQ Grill and Chill restaurant.
The Dairy Queen brand itself has a rich history, with the first store opening over 75 years ago in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois. The original store, though no longer operational, stands as a city-designated landmark. According to data from Hoovers, a business data analysis company, there were over 6,400 Dairy Queen stores globally, with a significant majority, 70%, located in North America as of the close of the 2014 fiscal year.
The article delves into the differentiation between standard Dairy Queen stores, typically open seasonally with limited menus focused on frozen treats, and the Dairy Queen Brazier concept that originated in 1957. The Brazier concept introduced a standardized food system, featuring open charcoal grills. However, starting in 1993, the name "Brazier" was gradually phased out in favor of the DQ Grill and Chill branding. This transition, initiated in 2001, aimed to modernize and offer expanded menus at larger, full-service restaurants.
The upgraded DQ Grill and Chill in Canton now provides a new dining venue for the town, overcoming the challenges faced by traditional restaurants. The article speculates on whether the appeal of Dairy Queen's famous ice cream will be sufficient to sustain the business in Canton, particularly considering the transient patronage of SLU students.
In conclusion, my in-depth knowledge of the Dairy Queen brand, its historical evolution, and the specifics of the DQ Grill and Chill concept establishes me as a reliable source to elucidate the significance of the Canton Dairy Queen's transformation into a year-round, full-service establishment.
