| Eateries |
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| DAIRY QUEEN (page 1) |
| Dairy Queen Charlotte, NC |
Dairy Queen Charlotte, NC |
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The first Dairy Queen opened in 1940 in Joliet, IL, serving only soft-serve ice cream. Expansion was exponential: by 1947, there were about 100 stores and by 1955, there were 2,600. Today, there are more than 5,900 DQs worldwide. In the early 1950s, DQ developed its slanted roof, rounded corners walkup with the classic tilted cone signage. In 1960, the company dropped this design for its barn-like building. For more about Dairy Queen, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
The Dairy Queen at the left was built in 1947. It is the oldest location left in NC and the third oldest in the Southeast. The Eskimo sign on the roof appears to be a recreation. The person represented is a little older and more Eskimo-y than the original (see the signs below) and the sign's shape is a little different. For more, see this website. The Dairy Queen at the right is from 1951. It has the name "Dairy Queen" in neon script above the awning in front. For more, see this website. I'd love to know of any other examples of these signs. |
| Dairy Freeze Quincy, MA |
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| This Dairy Freeze must have originally been a Dairy Queen. The sign is a well-preserved original. |
| Dairy Queen Grafton, WV |
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| The Grafton DQ features another original sign. For more, see this website. |
| Dairy Queen Pawcatuck, CT |
Dairy Queen Riverside, CA |
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The Pawcatuck Dairy Queen has been here since 1954.
The Riverside Dairy Queen is from the 1950s. It sounds like their "sister" location in town from the same era will be demolished, if it hasn't been already. For more, see this website. |
| Dairy Queen Janesville, WI |
Dairy Queen Butler, PA |
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This sign in Janesville appears to be old while the building itself seems to be modern (not the slant-roofed stand).
The Butler DQ looks like an oldie. |
| Dairy Queen Perryopolis, PA |
Dairy Queen Carbondale, IL |
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The Perryopolis DQ was built in 1963. The roof sign is from 1953, brought from an older location in Masontown, PA. For more, see their website.
The Cardondale Dairy Queen opened in 1952. For more, see this website. |
| Dairy Queen Buckhannon, WV |
Dairy Queen Lombard, IL |
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| Dairy Queen Shelbyville, IN |
Dairy Queen Janesville, MN |
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The Buckhannon, Lombard, and Shelbyville DQs look to be from the late 1950s or early 1960s. For more, see this website.
This Janesville DQ features an intact rooftop sign while the stand has been updated. |
| Dairy Queen New Smyrna Beach, FL |
Dairy Queen Minneapolis, MN |
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The New Smyrna Beach DQ features an old rooftop sign as well as a later freestanding pole sign. The rooftop sign was refurbished sometime after 2007. There is now only a singular "DQ" on the cone. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
This Minneapolis DQ has been here since 1957 or 1960 (conflicting sources). The signage has been updated to reflect its partnership with Orange Julius. The vintage rooftop sign remains. |
| former Dairy Queen Tampa, FL |
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| This Tampa Dairy Queen sign has been adapted by Sooo Good Southern Barbeque. |
| Dairy Queen Williams, AZ |
Dairy Queen Holdrege, NE |
Dairy Queen Newberg, OR |
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The Williams DQ features a rare, freestanding pole sign. The building's roof appears to have been retrofitted to look similar to the newer type. For more, see this website.
The Holdrege and Newberg DQs have nice old signs. I haven't seen either style anywhere else. The Newberg sign has been here since at least the 1970s and is still lit at night. It used to have an L-shaped animated arrow around it. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Dairy Queen Holbrook, AZ |
Dairy Queen Sioux Falls, SD |
Dairy Queen Benson, AZ |
Dairy King Richmond, VA |
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I have never seen the Holbrook or Bensons sign styles before either. I'm not sure if they are earlier designs or retro creations. I don't believe DQ's early signs or advertising promoted hamburgers but I could be wrong. The Holbrook location also features an incredibly tall, modern sign that is visible from I-40.
This Sioux Falls sign is lit at night. I believe it is a modern and unique creation. For more, see this website. I assume this Richmond Dairy King was once a DQ and this sign was altered for the name change. Over the years, Dairy Queens have been remodeled to look new - and now they are being remodeled to look old! A Dairy Queen in Salina, KS replaced its original building with a new nostalgic design. |
| Dairy Queen Duluth, MN |
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| I believe all three of these Duluth Dairy Queen signs are reproductions. Either that, or they have been completely refurbished and repainted. The painting on the cone does not match any of the vintage signs that I have seen. |
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More Dairy Queen Signs:
Nebraska City, NE [gone] |
| Dairy Queen Montréal, QC |
Dairy Queen Montréal, QC |
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| Dairy Queen Montréal, QC |
Dairy Queen Montréal, QC |
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| Dairy Queen Île Perrot, QC |
former Dairy Queen Montréal, QC |
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| These Québec Dairy Queens have mini chateau style buildings and porcelain enamel with neon signs. The first DQ opened in Canada in 1953. However, I'm not sure that these signs are all that old. They are all in great shape and lit at night. I have never seen signs or buildings like these in the States. This "Cornet Glace" sign is obviously an adapted DQ sign. For more, see this website. |
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More Canadian Dairy Queens:
Ottawa, ON Montréal, QC |
| Dairy Queen Aurora, IL |
former Dairy Queen Mattituck, NY |
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| Dairy Queen Fraser, MI |
Dairy Queen Athens, GA |
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The barn-style Aurora and Mattituck Dairy Queens feature the now rare "Little Miss" weathervane signs on the roof. The Mattituck building has been home to the "Magic Fountain" since at least the 1970s. They feature homemade ice cream.
The Fraser location's Little Miss is missing the weathervane arms. There is another Little Miss in Saco, ME. The Athens Dairy Queen has a style of weathervane that I have never seen before. I assume that it was mass-produced and there was the Dairy Queen name at the center of the logo. |
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