Business Spotlight: Dairy Queen
[May 02, 2026] The
first Dairy Queen location opened in Joliet, Illinois, in 1940. As it
grew in popularity, they began to expand in the region, with Lincoln’s
location opening in 1949. Since the Joliet location closed in the 1950s,
Lincoln’s Dairy Queen is one of the oldest franchises in the country.
Howard Logan was the first owner of the Lincoln location, later selling
to Jim and Vicky Myers. The Dairy Queen is currently owned by the Werner
family, who provided this timeline.
Hayley Werner,
owner/manager, explained that the location is a franchise, known as a
“DQ Treat” rather than “Grill and Chill”. Each year, they are inspected
by Dairy Queen four times. They have received several awards for their
sales and performance. The awards are proudly displayed on the top
shelf. While Hayley is very proud of the awards they have received, she
is also proud that the business has remained in the family and fondly
remembers her sister-in-law, Sandra Adkins, who helped her learn the
business, but passed away several years ago. Werner also remembered a
long-time Dairy Queen server, Betty Horn, who had her own unique way of
serving treats.
Looking to the
future, Werner noted that her children also work at the location as they
grow up. She hopes that the business stays in the family but also hopes
her kids “spread their wings”. If the family sells, it would transition
to a “Grill and Chill” and no longer be located at the same place.
Hayley also shared her favorite things about running a business. She
enjoys cheering up customers and seeing them leave with a smile. If you
go to Dairy Queen, you will also notice that many of their employees are
teenagers. Werner enjoys teaching them responsibility, customer service,
work ethic, and leadership skills. She enjoys the nostalgia of the
location, seeing school field trips and being the hangout spot after
events in town. They try to keep nostalgia alive as they approach Route
66 and the Four Corners.
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While they
maintain the walk-up windows where customers come to order their
treats, the Werner family has modernized the building in recent
years with the addition of a drive-up window and online ordering.
Family and friends often gather in the cars parked around the
building or on the picnic tables out front to enjoy their treats.
The most popular treat is the Blizzard, which Werner said was
introduced in 1985.
Werner emphasized customer service for those looking to start fresh
in the business. She says, “Without customers, there is no
business”. The Lincoln Dairy Queen is located at 916 Woodlawn Road
and is open from mid-March to October 31. Their current hours are
Monday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information,
visit their website at dairyqueen.com or call (217) 732-7860.
[Joli Boerma]
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