I have become the official DQ® Cake purchaser for family members’ birthdays. Recently I was asked to bring one to a party where we were celebrating the birthdays of one of my sisters and my two nephews. My goal was to get a DQ Blizzard® Cake that would appeal to all 14 party goers and not be decorated either too feminine or too masculine. I called my local DQ restaurant for assistance. It didn’t take more than a minute to decide on a 10-inch Heath Bar® Blizzard Cake with “Happy Birthday” and all three names on it. It was as simple as can be.
When I stopped by the restaurant a few days later to pick up the cake, it looked perfect. I arrived at the birthday party and was soon considered to be the hero of the day, just for bringing a DQ Blizzard Cake. People could not stop talking about it. The process to choose and purchase the cake was so easy, but the way everyone at the party raved about it, you would have thought I spent hours making and decorating the cake myself.
Next time you need to bring a dessert to an occasion, consider a DQ Cake. Everyone will thank you for the special treat!
Does anyone else agree with me that there doesn’t need to be a dedicated day for cranky co-workers? Yes, true story it’s one of those crazy days of recognition that exists. I mean, maybe it’s me but it seems you can come across this everyday if you’d like. Of course it’s rarely ever you that is cranky, crabby, or less than cheery but on those ever so occasional days when it happens, what cheers you up? For me it can be something as little as a coffee break, hot fudge DQ milkshake or lunch out with friends.
I heard from a loyal DQ® customer who has been running triathlons with his friend since 1988. They had created a DQ tradition—to stop at every DQ store on their way home from the faraway races to get a Blizzard® Treat to celebrate accomplishing their feat. Since then, they have committed every single summer to always include a Tour de Dairy Queen® road trip with a little friendly competition in a small-town triathlon thrown in for good measure.
To date, they have completed 19 trips and consumed 85 treats each. They did make a major modification to the rules in 1991 however. After spending three hours hunting down a DQ store in one area, they decided that one stop in a major metropolitan area would count as an official stop.
Another time, a friend gave them a list to help map out the DQ stops well in advance of the race. One summer they even took a detour home because the longer route had considerably more stores. They admit that their number one reason for the endeavors is for the fitness, but appreciate that they have found a way to make fitness and DQ treats go hand in hand.
So the iPod® is now 10 years old! It’s crazy to think that this amazing piece of technology has been around this long and now everything is at the touch of an iPhone® or iPod touch device! This Sunday is National iPod Day and in celebration of this glorious day, we thought that it’s only fitting we share with you the DQ system’s very own iPod Touch / iPhone products. First, the DQ store locator application, which will help you find the closest DQ restaurant to you, so that you can grab one our world famous Blizzard Treats or at the very least, a DQ cone with that world-famous curl on top. Check the app out here: Find a DQ – Store Locator
If you’re looking to jazz up your iPhone with a skin, then we have the perfect thing for you! Our very own DQ cell phone skins. Warning: may cause craving every time you look at your phone. C’mon David Hernandez, you’ve gotta have one of these
Did you know that October 7 is World Smile Day? On behalf of this momentous occasion, it got me thinking about one of my favorite smiles and a stories about the DQ® system. It came from the model of the original Blizzard Treat campaign poster from the 1980s. The point was to show her enjoying a new DQ Blizzard® treat while upside-down to drive home the point that this new product was upsidedownrightthick.
The studio where the photography took place actually built an apparatus that turned the little girl upside down. She remembers that the hardest part of the whole shoot was getting her braids to hang properly. She loved it and was a local celebrity in her small hometown.
While the Blizzard Treat was a brand new idea back in the ’80s, it sure has made great leaps and bounds over the years, from increasing the number of fruit, candy and cookie topping options to introducing the Mini Blizzard Treat. But through it all, one thing stays the same—it is always upsidedownrightthick. And, as this memory from the model that helped explain the delicious qualities of this treat, it has created a smile and a story she will never forget.
Thanks to all of our loyal DQ® customers who went out and bought Blizzard® Treats on Miracle Treat Day on August 11!
DQ has been raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for 27 years now, and we’ve raised almost $90 million during this time. Miracle Treat Day is our signature fundraising event, and we appreciate all of you treating yourselves AND helping kids in need! Donations for Miracle Treat Day are still coming in, but we’re expecting to have a donation of over $4 million for CMN Hospitals from just this one day!
Want to hear another really cool thing that happened this year? Franchisee Delon Mork challenged his town of 6,000 people to purchase 25,000 Blizzard treats on Miracle Treat Day. If they met the goal – he said he’d jump out of a plane! The town of Madison, SD, rose to the challenge… check out the link to Delon’s jump below!
I received a customer letter at the corporate offices recently that was pretty cute. A little girl forgot her stuffed teddy bear in the restroom at a DQ® restaurant. This wasn’t any old bear, but the one this little girl had since birth. Her mother didn’t notice the mistake until several hours later at bedtime that Bear was missing. She called the DQ restaurant and the manager had found him and was keeping him safe for a few days until this family would drive through the state again.
When they picked up Bear, a few of the employees had taken photos of Bear and his adventures at the DQ restaurant. How cute is that?
They say “imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” So, all of us at Dairy Queen® headquarters are officially flattered. You see, we introduced a new tagline, “So Good It’s RiDQulous.” We’re even sponsoring the most RiDQulous play of the day on ESPN. Then, we hear that there is a new word in Dallas – RiDIRKulous. Makes sense, Dirk knows when good isn’t good enough just like we do at Dairy Queen.
Ironically, there’s an interesting, long-standing connection with the Dallas Mavs through their owner Mark Cuban. You see, a number of years back, Mark, commenting on Ed Rush, the NBA director of officials at the time, said, “I wouldn’t hire Ed Rush to manage a Dairy Queen.” Well, maybe Ed couldn’t manage a Dairy Queen, but we thought Mark might want to try. Mark came out to his local DQ store and served up treats to customers who lined up around the building for the experience. At the same time we collected donations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, our national charitable partner. The result was a blizzard of publicity and enough smiles and stories to last a lifetime. Mark was a great sport. We congratulate him and the Mavs on a fantastic season and first NBA Championship.
Do you know anyone who’s RiDQulous? We’d like to hear about them.
What is it about growing up with the DQ® system that was a direct correlation with the size of the products my parents would allow me to order? My first memory is of a push-up style soft-serve treat I could get myself out of the self-serve freezer at my local DQ store. While I would have preferred to get the same Peanut Buster® Parfait my Dad would order, he would always talk me into something smaller because he knew my eyes were bigger than stomach.
As I grew older and started grade school, I moved through ordering the other novelties, including the DQ Sandwich, Dilly® Bars of various flavors and the Buster Bar®. Then I can remember going through a Strawberry Sundae phase in about 6th grade. I would occasionally switch up the flavors—sometimes hot fudge, sometimes caramel.
When I got my first driver’s license, my favorite product was a Crunch Cone because it was easy to handle in the car. Then, by the time I was graduating high school, the Blizzard® Flavor Treat was rolled out, introducing me to a whole new delicious treat platform.
However, with the recent introduction of the Mini Blizzard size, the pattern has shifted. Now I’m able to still get all the same great taste of a Blizzard Treat, but as a smaller indulgence with little guilt.
My past memories of the DQ system just show how this brand has something for everyone. Do you remember how your DQ purchases have changed over the years?
I love theater- music, drama, dance…the arts. Just love all of it. One of my earliest memories is as a tiny girl going to see The Nutcracker Ballet with my parents. If I close my eyes I can still see that stage and the dancers. Wonderful!
I am currently assisting one of our local community theater groups with props for their April production. With most of our city currently buried under several feet of snow, garage sales are out of the question. Rats. Thank goodness for second-hand stores, discount stores and online sale sites.
I have made a connection in the last couple of days that will help me find the last bits of furniture I will need for our set. Connections. That’s really what it’s all about isn’t it? Connecting with others in your community, building relationships and getting to know people…really know them, not just the “Hi,” “Bye,” “I’ve seen you in the community,” kind of know.
This kind of connection is what American Dairy Queen Corporation upholds as one of our values — giving back to the communities in which we live, work and do business. It’s one of the reasons I’m so proud to be part of the DQ Family.
What kinds of things are you doing in your community?
