On Saturday night I heard that the College View Dairy Queen is closing "soon". Actually I think the person said "soon, I guess", with nary a bit of certainty. The store's (eventual) closing was cited as the reason for their lack of certain ingredients. Apparently they aren't restocking items after they run out, instead letting supplies dwindle until the only food available is whatever's way in the back of the freezer.
It was suggested that although the present DQ location is closing, it will likely reopen -- perhaps as a Grill & Chill -- somewhere else in that part of the city. I'm not sure what DQ's siting requirements are, but I can think of two good spots not far away. The first and most obvious is 48th and Van Dorn where CVS is putting in a new store while tearing down the rest of the existing strip. A modern DQ would do well with Lincoln Southeast just a half mile away. A somewhat less likely possibility is Edgewood where, again, CVS is tearing down an existing building.to put in a fresh store.
My pie-in-the-sky dream is that DQ and the neighboring daVinci's team up to merge the two properties. They'll both tear down their buildings and construct something new and neighborhood-consistent spanning the two lots, with the parking lot in the rear. I picture a three-story mixed use building of some sort. That'll never happen, but a guy can hope.
Assuming the store's closing is true, this is a pretty big blow for College View. That DQ is a big part of summer evenings in the neighborhood. Not only will DQ's absence harm that, but I can't imagine too many businesses are flocking to move into the ugly and dated building with its iffy parking lot. If this were three years ago I'd guess that d'Leon's would move in in a heartbeat, but they appear to have slowed their expansion lately.
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I can’t see that they would go in at 56th and Highway 2 with the new Grill and Chill just down the Highway at 84th.
Kind of sad to see an old DQ go. The building is an eyesore and the parking is close to nil, but it’s a throwback to the DQ’s of old, kind of like the one on South Street just off Normal.
DQ is an oddity in the franchising world. They are one of the oldest brands and franchise companies in the US, but their agreements and terms for the first 2-3 decades were flexible enough that you see wide variations in store size, style, and menu prices. They’ve tried to fix that in recent years with the Grill and Chill, much to the dismay of their franchise owners. Families that have held on to traditional locations for 40 years or more feel squeezed out.
Kind of sad, but probably also kind of needed so they don’t go the way of A&W;.
I lived in that neighborhood for many, many years and that DQ will be missed.
Like other areas of town…a few companies putting up new locations in the area can really up lift the whole area. I still remember how 27th & Vine looked before a few companies rebuilt and updated the outsides of their buildings. Would love to see the building directly across from McD’s there go bye bye. It is an eye sore and no one will build there til it is gone.
Remember what East of 48th and 0 Street looked like after the car dealers left. Just horrible. It was not until HyVee, Walgreen, Runza, and recently Cheddars took hold there that the area really started to shine again.
A few leaders in that area between 48th and vine and 48th & Leighton would make the place look a lot better. I think it is already happening a little. The place that Kelly Yogurt is in looks great. And the businesses in the slow area there tend to take care of the older building there.
Personally i would LOVE to see the hardware store there and Tastee’s tear down their shacks and build a new building. Even a small strip mall there would improve the area so much.
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