The Fresno Bee: Dairy Queen Eyeing Fresno Area for Additional Locations

Dairy Queen is sniffing around the Fresno area in hopes of opening several locations here – between five and seven restaurants in the Fresno/Clovis area and a total of 12 between Porterville and Madera.

Fresno has just one Dairy Queen in Manchester Center. But the ones it wants to open are a lot different than the one in Manchester. The company is on an expansion kick with its DQ Grill & Chill model. These restaurants have a new modern look with expanded menus.

They still have the burgers and soft-serve cones that Dairy Queen is known for, but they also have what they call “DQ Bakes! artisan-style” sandwiches, including a chicken bruschetta sandwich served hot.

DQ Bakes! also includes “snack melts” such as grilled chicken, buffalo sauce, cheddar and ranch dressing wrapped up in a tortilla. And there are hot desserts, such as a fudge-stuffed cookie served with vanilla soft serve and chocolate sauce drizzled on top.

The restaurants are franchises, meaning someone must buy into the concept and pay a franchise fee, usually with a lot of other expenses. Dairy Queen’s required investment averages more than $1 million – not counting the cost of buying or renting land.