Dairy Queen

International Dairy Queen Inc. is looking to significantly increase its presence in the state of New York, with room to add up to 100 DQ Grill & Chill locations statewide.

The brand currently has 40 locations in the state, and the addition of 100 would provide 50 to 100 job opportunities each. For this expansion, International Dairy Queen Inc. is on the lookout for potential independent franchise operators interested in opening a DQ Grill & Chill restaurant, as well as real estate properties.

“New York is such a wide open market for us, which is why we are aggressively trying to build there,” International Dairy Queen Inc. Vice President, Franchise Development, Jim Kerr told Newsday. “Right now, we average about four to five [new locations] a year in the state. We would like to kick it up to 10 per year in the state.”

One market that is a focus for the New York development is Long Island. The area was first introduced to the DQ Grill & Chill concept in June 2013, when Franchisee Laura Maier, who opened her location in Massapequa. Maier chose to work with International Dairy Queen Inc. because she not only had faith in the concept, but in the individuals behind it.

“It was important for me to deal with people who were in the industry and know what to do,” Maier, a former health care administrator turned restaurant owner, told Newsday. “For me, to make it successful, you have to be involved.”