When Denver City’s Dairy Queen closed their doors this week, it came as a shock to the community.
“It’s a staple of small town Texas,” City Manager Stan David said. “Not having a Dairy Queen is almost like not having a part of your family.”
He said the classic establishment was a staple in their town.
“Everybody thinks about going to the Dairy Queen and getting a Blizzard or a Hungr-Buster or whatever,” David said.
George Caballero has been a Denver City resident for years, and can’t remember not having a one.
“I’m kinda going to miss Dairy Queen because we came here a lot. Every week or every other week,” Caballero said. “We were here all the time to eat.”
Denver City isn’t alone. Over twenty Texas Dairy Queens are closing, as their parent company Vasari LLC filed for bankruptcy on Monday. According to their website, they own around 70 locations.
A look at court records made it clear the company is trying to find a way to stay in business, evaluating which locations to close in order to keep others running. Those same records indicated more closures could be coming.
“[Vasari] closed approximately 22 Dairy Queen locations prior to the Petition Date and anticipates that it will close approximately 9 additional Dairy Queen locations … during this Bankruptcy Case,” court records said.
For more information: Some South Plains Dairy Queen Locations to Close Under Bankruptcy Plan
Stan David said he’s worried about the employees now out of work.
“It’s easy to think about not being able to get a Blizzard anymore, but that’s something selfish, but when somebody is depending on that job for their livelihood that’s hurtful to think about,” David said. “And I don’t know what the long-term plan is for that location.”
They hope someone is able to open another Dairy Queen location in their town, or that a new restaurant can take it’s place.
“It’s disappointing to lose a business, but it also provides an opportunity for the other places to fill that void,” David said. “But I’m confident that with that location something else will be there. You just hope it’s something good for the community that people can enjoy.”
