---
title: "Delta Sky: Dairy Queen® Builds on Momentum with Multi-Unit Franchisees"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/f50923ec-d1ec-4b01-b1cc-fe19e0f47282
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/delta-sky-dairy-queen-builds-on-momentum-with-multi-unit-franchisees-11877
category: "Snacks & dessert"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Snacks & dessert"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2017-04-21T02:21:55.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:11:17.686Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/ec2e0ebe57dbfe09b2ea6dffddad69fa9619.jpg
---

# Delta Sky: Dairy Queen® Builds on Momentum with Multi-Unit Franchisees

**TL;DR:** Dairy Queen has seen success with multi-unit franchisees, including Laura Maier, who has opened three locations on Long Island. The brand's multi-unit franchisees are part of a larger trend in the franchise industry, where over half of the 450,000 franchised businesses in the U.S. are owned by multi-unit operators.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2017-04-21. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/delta-sky-dairy-queen-builds-on-momentum-with-multi-unit-franchisees-11877).*

## Story

The more the merrier. That's become the motto in the franchise industry for both franchisors and franchisees who have realized the increased success that comes from opening more than just one unit.

The trend was the topic of an article in a recent issue of Delta Sky which noted that according to FranData, more than half of the 450,000 franchised businesses in the U.S. are owned by multi-unit franchisees. One of those franchisees is Laura Maier, who had fond childhood memories of *Dairy Queen®* and was interested in bringing the concept to Long Island. Due to the newer *DQ Grill & Chill®* model providing a solid revenue stream during the colder winter months, Maier has been able to open three locations with a fourth coming over the summer.

"We start our multiunit franchisees with one store," Mike Mettler, Vice President of Franchise Sales and Development for International Dairy Queen, Inc., told Delta Sky. "We don't set unrealistic targets, such as opening five stores in a certain time frame. It's about the quality of the real estate and things like training. We don't want to force our franchisees to make a decision that is not optimal that they will have to live with for the next 20 years."

Maier attributes her success to the commitment to community and the strong ties they've built with families in the area.

"I don't even think about it as being work anymore," Maier told Delta Sky. "When I'm at my restaurants, I'm having fun."

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- Dairy Queen (company)
- FRANdata (company)
- multi-unit franchisees (topic)
- Delta (company)
- Mike Mettler (person)
- franchise industry trend (topic)
- dairy queen expansion (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/delta-sky-dairy-queen-builds-on-momentum-with-multi-unit-franchisees-11877). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f50923ec-d1ec-4b01-b1cc-fe19e0f47282).