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?
Posted by admin under Eats & Treats on May 5th, 2011
I have to admit, there are times that I swear I can’t look at another Blizzard® Treat, sundae or any treat for that matter. Tuesday, however, was not one of those days. I’m embarrassed to admit that until Tuesday I had never tried a DQ shake, never! I know, it’s crazy, because you would think that working at the corporate headquarters would mean I’ve tried everything at least once, right? Wrong.
On Tuesday I had a huge and sudden craving for a milkshake. Maybe I was persuaded by the fact that for the entire month of May, a small DQ milkshake is only $1.99 at participating locations. Or perhaps it was that the DQ shakes are now topped with scrumptious whip cream and a cherry. Needless to say I caved in to my craving, and after work stopped by my local DQ restaurant and ordered a hot fudge and marshmallow shake.
OMG! It was my own personal heaven in a cup. It’s been so long since I’ve indulged in a good ol’ fashion milkshake, and my DQ shake did not let me down! With so many flavors and flavor combinations, I have a feeling I may be embarking on Tour de Milkshake over the next few months.
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?
How many of ye get a day dedicated entirely for thine birthday? Three days hence, William Shakespeare’s day of birth, April 23, hast officially been named “Talk Like Shakespeare Day”, and mayhap ‘tis why thou mayest struggle understanding this eloquent blog.
Faith, this very blog ‘tis written in Shakespeare Speak in honor of this auspicious event. In sooth, e’en before I apprenticed at DQ® ‘twas a tradition to partake in DQ Cakes on all happy celebrations. Why, e’en better, thou might tryest a Blizzard® cake!
Indeed, I urge all honey-tongued gentlemen and gentlewomen partake in “Talk Like Shakespeare Day.” Prithee, do also have your scribe announce thy favorite happy celebrations here, so that all mayest consider the delights!
Whew! This winter was tough – with snow piles higher than I am tall, and living in a neighborhood where there are no sidewalks…getting exercise has been tough these past four months! When I was home and it was light out (kinda), neighbors were either leaving for work or coming home and with the snow narrowing the streets; it was risky to even go for a walk.
We shoveled a path for our pup so he could get out – it’s kind of scary when the snow is two or three feet higher than you are – but that didn’t afford the kind of exercise he needed either. He’s a dog who barks anyway, and you can imagine how he is now as he’s going stir crazy in the house.
Spring is here, the snow has melted and it is daylight longer. What a blessing! Who cares that the pup needs a bath after the walk? It’s great to get out and MOVE.
Moving isn’t enough, of course, for me; I really have to change my eating habits too. Two weddings and a house remodel project require me to be in better shape than I have been. Not to mention, it’s important for my general health. I have been doing great so far, happy to see changes in my shape and happy that my clothes are not so snug. Even so, it’s tough to make the change and fight those urges for yummy sweets – particularly when, say, there’s a birthday or other festive occasion and there is a CAKE.
*sigh*
I love cakes. Cake – cakes and DQ® cakes. And we all know that DQ makes WONDERFUL cakes with delicious DQ soft serve. My daughter’s birthday is this weekend, and she wants a DQ cake. What am I going to do? I am going to purchase a box of DQ No Sugar Added Bars….I think the DQ No Sugar Added Fudge Bars (50 calories for one bar) will be perfect…though there are the Vanilla Orange bars (60 calories for one bar) too…. What are you doing to change your habits and make healthy choices?
I received a customer letter at the corporate offices that made me chuckle. It seems a girl and her friend decided to go to their local DQ® restaurant’s drive-thru after a basketball game. Not surprisingly, they needed to peruse the drive-thru menu board for a few seconds before ordering. What was surprising though was that once they placed their order, the employee kept saying “excuse me?” as if she couldn’t hear the order.
The girl and her friend repeated their order a few times, but still the employee couldn’t hear them. Finally, the customer heard a much larger male voice loudly say, “Ma’am, you are speaking into the bird house. Could you please pull ahead 10 feet and repeat your order into the intercom?”
The girls says she and her friend were so embarrassed and laughing so hard, they just pulled out of the drive-thru lane and drove away. Have you ever had an embarrassing DQ moment?
Posted by admin under Eats & Treats on March 10th, 2011
Spending all day in Dairy Queen® corporate headquarters means that burgers are everywhere. Well, not literally everywhere, that’s the problem. We talk about burgers in meetings, there are pictures of burgers everywhere. By lunch time, we’re starving for a DQ® GrillBurger™, but most of the time, to get an ACTUAL burger, we have to leave the building and visit the DQ Grill & Chill® restaurant that is about a block away.
Soon there will be two new reasons to make the trip, because we’re introducing a couple of new GrillBurgers this year. In April and May we have the ¼ lb. Crispy Onion BBQ GrillBurger. A 1/4 lb. 100 percent all-beef burger topped with melted American cheese, thick-cut tomato, leaf lettuce, pickles, crispy onions and a hickory smoked BBQ sauce, and served on a home-style bakery bun.
In June and July we are introducing (and this is MY favorite) the ¼ lb. Fajita Ranch GrillBurger. A 1/4 lb. 100 percent all-beef burger topped with pepper jack cheese, crunchy tortilla strips, a fajita vegetable blend and a spicy ranch sauce, all served on a home-style bakery bun.
These burgers are delicious, and you don’t have to take my word for it. Try them and you’ll see for yourself. They will be limited-time offers though, so if you really like them and think they should be on the menu forever and ever, you need to go and get one every single day. No, seriously, that’s how restaurants determine if a product should stay or go.
I recently heard a really funny story from my husband’s cousin. She made a last-minute decision to go out into the snowy evening with her two small sons to get treats from the local DQ® store. Because it was so snowy and cold, she chose to order their malts at the drive-thru window. She moved on to the pick-up window to await the treats.
As she was sitting with her window open waiting for the employee to finish the malts and hand them out to her, a huge pile of snow slid off the DQ roof right into her car! She was so shocked and surprised that her first thought was that the DQ employee had thrown snow at her.
It wasn’t until she left the drive-thru lane that she thought of the perfect comeback to her shocking situation, “I didn’t order a Blizzard®!” Have you ever had something funny happen to you at a DQ drive-thru window?
I recently received a customer letter at the corporate DQ® headquarters about how a family knew they would be taking their beloved pet to the veterinarian for the last time. Because they made it a ritual to take Patches to the local DQ restaurant for a hamburger as a treat after every vet appointment, this time the family took her to the restaurant before the final appointment.
The family went through the drive-thru lane to pick up the hamburger, and was surprised to receive the hamburger free of charge because the employee was so sorry about the unfortunate day. The owners of that little dog will always remember that employee’s act of concern and caring.
Sometimes it can be such a simple act of kindness that can help someone through a difficult time. This is an excellent example about how the DQ system could help someone feel just a little bit better.
What have you done to help someone through a difficult time?
