Like very expensive dominos, US busniesses are falling, one by one. Retail, restaurants, and even hospitals are feeling the pressure of the country's economic downturn. It was only a matter of time before Dairy Queen started shutting down a few locations.
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March 24th marked the final days of serving soft serve ice cream at 12 locations around Texas. Six of them were located in Hemphill, Jasper, Kountze, Huntington, Lufkin, and Longview Eastman. The other six Dairy Queen locations haven't been revealed. It may be time to check your local.
This marks the 37th Dairy Queen location closed in Texas this year. They are all owned by the same franchisee. Texas still leads the country in the amount of DQs but there are now significantly fewer.
The previous closures gave the opportunity for potential restraunteurs, or mega fans, to buy the old equipment. The Dairy Queen locations auctioned off all their equipment to the highest bidder. But there was a catch. You couldn't simply buy only the Blizzard machine and leave; whoever won had to take the whole lot.
Some auctions even included the massive Dairy Queen signs.
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A representative of American Dairy Queen Corporation told us, "I can confirm that 12 DQ restaurants in Texas owned by a single franchise owner closed during the past week. These closures are related to closures last month by the same franchise owner. The closures are an isolated event, and we refrain from publicly commenting on active litigation and sharing contract terms."
However, if the rest of the US economy is anything to go by, it's due to a nationwide belt-tightening.
The famed fast food chain is owned by financial wizard Warren Buffett, a man who has his finger not on the pulse of US economics but actually pumping the financial heart with his own hand. If anyone knows when it's time to start trimming the fat, it's him.
There have been many closures, bankruptcies, and collapses across US markets recently, and the food industry is suffering worst of all. Many high street chains, such as TGI Fridays, Hooters, and Eegee's, have all filed for bankruptcy.
This has come as a result of changing attitudes to grabbing a quick bite. People are poorer now than they have been for generations. That simply doesn't leave spare cash to treat yourself or loved ones that often. Whereas something like a Dairy Queen might have been a weekly trip for many before, it's now considered a luxury.
Dairy Queen keeps things simple, and with old Mr. Buffet at the helm, they'll most likely weather the storm. But, I am hardly surprised to see locations closing their doors amid the dropping numbers of diners.
