Dairy Queen Blog

Seventy years ago this week (June 22, 1940, to be exact) a dream became reality as the Dairy Queen® system was born.  Sherb Noble, our first DQ® franchisee, officially opened his DQ location in Joliet, Ill.  Little did Sherb know at that time that his Dairy Queen store–aptly named for the creamy soft serve he offered, which was a “queen” among dairy products and the epitome of freshness and wholesomeness–would grow into a chain of more than 5,700 restaurants in 18 countries outside the U.S and Canada.  Or that the menu solely consisting of cones, sundaes and take-home pints would be expanded over the years to include a vast array of irresistible soft serve items and delicious hot food offerings. 

Last Tuesday, during a ceremony that took place at a DQ location in downtown Chicago, members of the Noble family were presented a proclamation by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who declared it “DQ Day” throughout the state in honor of the system’s 70^th birthday.  Although Sherb has passed on, his two daughters, Susan and Christie, were both in attendance to hear and accept the proclamation. 

All of us associated with the Dairy Queen system are indebted to Sherb and the other early DQ pioneers for the rich heritage and legacy they left behind.  Their entrepreneurial spirit and standard for providing quality products and service to all of our loyal customers who have come to know and love the brand is still alive today.

Thanks Sherb for a job well done!