Posted by : BRS

To celebrate Canada Day on July 1, employees at the DQ® Canada corporate office came up with a huge idea—to build the nation’s largest cake. The massive soft-serve cake weighed in at 1,540 pounds and was made of 120 gallons of vanilla and chocolate soft serve, 264 pounds of chocolate crunch, 20 gallons of cold chocolate fudge and 14 gallons of vanilla icing! The cake was made on eight tables and was eight by ten feet in size. A total of 128 sheet cakes and 46 eight-inch round cakes were used to complete the record-breaking DQ Cake.

Planning for this gigantic cake began back in March and nearly 30 people helped out in making this feat possible. For five hours the day before, volunteers worked in a -25 degree Celsius warehouse to make the cakes. When they were finished, the product was loaded into a freezer truck and transported to a park the next day. It even arrived with a police escort!

Once at the park, it took 30 minutes to reassemble and ice the cake. Then it took another 20 minutes to serve it to the more than 600 people who showed up on that rainy day. It was sliced into 3,500 pieces and all leftovers were donated to The Salvation Army and a homeless shelter. Now what are they going to come up with for next year?

Posted by : BRS

It was around 6:30 on a typical spring Sunday evening in Edwardsville, Ill., when who should waltz into the local Dairy Queen® restaurant but late-night funnyman Conan O’Brien. According to DQ® employees who were working at the time, the variety show host was wearing a blue shirt, tie and suit jacket, and was with four or five other casually dressed men, who were thought to be the camera crew. After the staff determined that it was in fact O’Brien, two of the employees who had cameras with them asked O’Brien if he would pose for a photo.

Employees say O’Brien was really nice and friendly, and he even asked them if they wanted a group shot or individual shots. They opted for the group shot to ensure that they would get a photo with the celebrity in case the restaurant got busy.

After the photo op, O’Brien ordered a banana split—hold the pineapple—and hung out at the restaurant for half an hour before taking off with his crew in an unmarked van. They were believed to be on their way to shoot footage in nearby cornfields for a segment for O’Brien’s new gig as host of “The Tonight Show,” which he took over from Jay Leno on June 1. That segment ran during the first episode and featured O’Brien running from his old studio in New York City across America to his new studio in Los Angeles. While running, O’Brien stopped by the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which was where he had been filming before stopping in for a DQ treat. Edwardsville is about a 25 minute drive from the Arch.

Here are some other famous faces that have appeard in DQ locations over the years:

Actor Tom Cruise (center) became a regular customer at the Lexington, Va., DQ restaurant in 2004 when he was filming the Steven Spielberg movie “War of the Worlds.”

Former President Bill Clinton visited the Flemingsburg, Ky., DQ restaurant in March 2008. Nearly 400 people greeted him upon his arrival, and he gave autographs and shook hands with most of the people at the restaurant. He even tried his hand at making a DQ cone!

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates (center) actually rented out a Kirkland, Wash., DQ restaurant for 45 minutes in December 2007 to hold a mock business meeting that was being filmed for a documentary.

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And although David Letterman didn’t actually stop at a DQ restaurant, he asked Andy Pettitte if he was running a DQ while not playing with the Yankees when the World Series champ stopped by “The Late Show” with fellow teammates Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.

Posted by : BRS

Everyone in the United States knows that the Dairy Queen® system has been around forever… or at least for about the last 70 years. But what many people might not know is that the Dairy Queen brand exists in other countries besides the United States and Canada—19 other foreign countries to be exact! There are more than 5,600 DQ® locations around the world, and the numbers keep growing.

In 1959, the first Dairy Queen restaurant in the Central American country of Panama opened to the public. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that store’s opening, and to date there are seven other DQ locations in Panama. The official celebration took place in March, but there are festivities and celebrations that will continue throughout the rest of the year.

To kick off the “50 Years Growing With You” campaign, a birthday party was held for DQ staff, special guests and the local media. Shortly after that, the general manager from the DQ store visited TV and radio stations to participate in morning talk shows, and on one radio program they developed “Dairy Queen Memories,” where people could call in to share their memories of growing up with the DQ brand. The event was so successful it prompted the launch of a Facebook page, and those who shared stories and photos were entered to win prizes like digital picture frames and cameras. And in September, they held a Customer Appreciation Day.

Panama, which is located between Colombia and Costa Rica, borders the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. It is slightly smaller than the size of South Carolina and has a population of more than 3 million people. The most popular menu items are Blizzard® Treats, chili dogs, shakes, Moolatte® beverages and banana splits. They also sell DQ Cakes, which were just introduced to the country last year.

Posted by : PR Wonk

As the saying goes, all good things have to come to an end.  Although I understand that my world around me is constantly changing and evolving, it doesn’t mean that it is always easy to accept.

Growing up in Mountain Lake, a small farming community in southwest Minnesota, life was pretty consistent from year to year.  We had our families, our friends, our school, our hang out (which happened to be the Dairy Queen®  store) and numerous other things that helped define who we were and who we’d become later in life.

Recently, while visiting my mom who still lives in the same house in which I grew up, I realized just how much Mountain Lake had changed since I moved away more than 25 years ago.  Highway 60, which used to run through the heart of my community, now skirts around its edges giving travelers nary a glimpse of what life must be like in town.

The public high school, once home of the Lakers, our orange and black colors and rich heritage, now has a consolidated sports program with a neighboring community and claims a silver and maroon wolverine as its mascot. 

Other than the local post office, none of the main street businesses from my past such as Mix bakery, Our Own and Gambles hardware stores, Epps Department store, Manor Inn restaurant, or Jack and Jill grocery store are still in operation.  The buildings are there, but the people and merchandise that was once offered there are no longer.

Perhaps one of the hardest things to accept as I drove through town this time was not seeing the familiar red DQ® ellipse sign that always seemed to welcome young and old alike.  You see, the Dairy Queen that had always been there for me after school, after practice, after games, on dates, after swimming, when I needed to grab a quick bite for lunch or dinner or just hang out in front of with friends, is no more.  Oh, the building is there and is in the process of being renovated into an independent establishment, but the familiar DQ restaurant, as I had always known and remembered it, is now gone. 

Sadly, it is the end of an era. Just as I’ve said good-bye to friends and family members, I say good-bye to “my DQ.”  Yes, unfortunately, all good things do have to come to an end.  It was a wonderful run and I am glad that the memories I experienced there are still as fresh as the creamy soft serve that was once enjoyed by tens of thousands of customers through the years just like me. 

Even though the DQ location of my youth has closed, the cool thing is that there are more than 250 DQ restaurants to visit throughout the state, and nearly 4,600 throughout the country.  We have our own Dairy Queen restaurant where I live today, which gives me the opportunity to take my two boys and start making their own lifelong memories.  And if the tradition holds true, I’m confident that someday soon, they will come to refer to it as their DQ.

Posted by : Carolyn K

Remember Halloween or harvest parties from your childhood?  How you spent weeks agonizing over what would be The perfect costume?  And how much fun it was to try to figure out who was behind that goofy looking mask?

 We do!  And many of us here at International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) haven’t yet grown up.  In the past three or four years our corporate Halloween party has become something we all look forward to.  In previous years our receptionist had embraced the fun and greeted guests in all kinds of fabulous costumes – and a smattering of other employees would don costumes for fun. Now most of the corporate team takes part in costume contests, cheering on the executivess in some kind of event, and enjoying a pizza lunch.

 Some of the fun in past years included Duct Tape Man (I am sorry no photos of that costume survived!), Lady Luck, a 401k Portfolio, Mr. Bill …  and, as you might imagine, food-themed costumes. Last year we had a contest where teams turned our executives into toilet paper mummies.

This year we’re looking forward to a pumpkin decorating contest, more costume contests, lunch, and an “Executive Fear Factor” event.  What do you do at your office?

Posted by : Michael Keller

Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his thoughts and unique insight on what DQ® can learn from U2!

CBO Corner Audio Blog:

Podcast: Play in new window

Posted by : BRS

Amid the thousands (or so it seemed) decisions my husband and I had to make over the past year in planning our recent wedding, the cake was something I hadn’t thought too much about. I was too busy picking out a dress and booking the photographer, florist, reception site, etc. Sure, the cake is important, but there were other things that had to be done first!

Don’t get me wrong; I love cake, chocolate and anything sweet, but my husband is more of a Gummi Bears guy, so I thought choosing a cake we could agree on would be one of our hardest decisions. Was I ever wrong! One day my then-fiancé mentioned that we should have Dairy Queen® Cake for all of our guests at our wedding. At first I thought that was a silly idea. I mean, who has ice cream cake at their wedding? But after talking with one of my co-workers, I found out that’s exactly what she did too, and it was a hit with all of their guests. All of a sudden, it didn’t seem like such a crazy idea after all.

So we served DQ® ice cream cake at our wedding, and honestly, it was one of the easiest decisions we made. Not to mention, all of the guests loved it, including my husband, who made sure everyone knew whose idea it really was!

Posted by : BRS

With more than 5,600 Dairy Queen® locations in the world, there are bound to be some unique and interesting stories that go with them. For instance, there is a six-ton NASA space capsule sitting in front of a Franklin, Pa., DQ® restaurant; Bill Gates used a Kirkland, Wash., DQ restaurant for a mock business meeting he was filming for a documentary; and last winter a couple tied the knot at a Bethlehem, Pa., DQ Grill & Chill® restaurant.

But in Nappanee, Ind., there is one Dairy Queen location that boasts something unique to the DQ system—a 100-foot-long hitching post for Amish buggies. After a tornado ripped through the small town in 2007 and destroyed the local DQ restaurant, the owners bought property in a better location and built a new DQ Grill & Chill® restaurant.

Along with the new space came room for more seating inside and outside, and a bigger parking lot. To accommodate the large Amish population in the area, the owners decided to build the hitching post that can hold up to 10 Amish buggies. It even comes with a separate driveway.

Posted by : Carolyn K

Everyone has their favorite DQ® treat – and one of mine happens to be the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard® Treat. 

Really.

If you like pumpkin pie at all – this is really delicious. Honest.  I enjoy lots of different Blizzard Treat flavors, but always say the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat is my favorite.  So, in honor of the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard of the Month, I give you my Ode to the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat.

Ode to the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat

O Pumpkin Pie Blizzard how I wait for thee! 
Your appearance each year is altogether too brief.
The air is crisp, the leaves are changing;
I know your time is come!

Delicious pumpkin and pie crust pieces swirl in my cup –
A dance with cold creamy vanilla DQ soft serve.
A white cloud of whipped topping dusted with nutmeg
Completes the perfect confection!

All the flavors all year long pale in comparison
Sweet treats, delight, but only just tease 
I long for – hope for – dream of Pumpkin Pie Blizzard perfection –
I know your time is come!

Posted by : BRS

Last summer, the Dairy Queen® brand reached a huge landmark when the 500th international DQ® location outside of the United States and Canada opened in Manila, Philippines. That’s right—there are DQ stores in the Philippines! In fact, the Philippines is home to 20 DQ locations on last count, and there are currently DQ locations in 19 countries other than the U.S. and Canada.

The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeastern Asia east of Vietnam. The country is slightly larger than the size of Arizona, but has a population of more than 96 million. All of the DQ locations in the country are Dairy Queen/Orange Julius® stores that only serve treats, not food.

The most popular treat internationally is the same one that is No. 1 in North America—the Blizzard® Treat, with the Oreo® Blizzard Treat being the favorite in the Philippines. The products on the menu are similar to those found in the United States and Canada, but they are sold in smaller sizes. Internationally, the Blizzard Treat is guaranteed to be served “upside down or it’s free,” which the Filipino customers love.