Dairy Queen

About Dairy Queen

Ice cream manufacturer J.F. 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, convinced one of their customers to hold an introductory sale of the new soft ice cream, and more than 1,600 people showed up to try it.

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 system wide have menus that include hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken strips through Dairy Queen's Grill & Chill concept. The company also offers a DQ Orange Julius concept that offers both Dairy Queen's frozen treats and the sister company's fruit drinks and smoothies.

Franchise Units

Year	U.S.	Canadian	International	Company Owned
2011	4,498	590	857	3
2010	4,451	583	710	71
2009	4,480	577	577	70
2008	4,551	577	491	70