OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – A new Dairy Queen location is serving customers in Oklahoma City, operating in one of the city’s busy business hubs. And OKC could see more DQs in the future.
The new DQ Grill & Chill, 6017 West Reno Ave., opened towards the end of 2024 and is bringing in big business.
The location is owned by Dairy Queen franchisee Dara Dejbakhsh, who owns 35 Dairy Queen locations across multiple states.
“Dairy Queen has built strong customer loyalty over the years, and I hope to continue fostering those relationships at this new location,” Dejbakhsh said. “I’m excited to bring joy and laughter here and create a welcoming environment where community members can enjoy their favorite treats.”
Misty Owen, Dairy Queen’s Oklahoma district manager, spoke with Oklahoma Business Voice about the new location, which was completed following a nine-month development process.
Owen said the new location used to be a Zaxby’s, which closed after being open for about a year and a half.
She said West Reno Avenue is a good fit for Dairy Queen because it has several surrounding businesses, both commercial and industrial, including the outlet mall within a mile of the new location. It also has nearby residential areas.
“It’s a variety of everything that we felt we could tap into,” Owen said.
There are now two Dairy Queen locations in Oklahoma City, one in Moore, one in Norman, one in Del City and one in Yukon.
Owen said Dejbakhsh is focused on growing the number of Dairy Queen locations in Oklahoma.
“Having added [new] locations, we’re still sustaining sales. So, that tells us, we have the market for more fans,” Owen said.
Dejbakhsh is interested in building Dairy Queens in different parts of the city.
“He has a developer here that is constantly looking for sites that would be good for us. There’s a lot of thought that goes into it,” Owen said.
Dairy Queen has a training location in Yukon, one of only around 30 such locations in the nation, Owen said.
“We’ve been training managers from all over the world. So, we’re in good standing here [in Oklahoma],” she said. “So, operationally, we’re looking to grow and build up more locations here.”
Both the 2023 and 2024 QSR 50, the fast food industry’s top annual report, ranked Dairy Queen the 17th leading fast food chain in the nation in its 2023 report.
Dairy Queen has seen a growing customer base thanks to push notifications and special promotions through its mobile app, attracting several million app subscribers.
Restaurants are the largest private sector employer in Oklahoma and account for $11.3 billion in sales. Every dollar spent in Oklahoma restaurants contributes $1.93 to the state economy. They are also the largest private employer in the state, providing more than 186,000 jobs, which is around 11 percent of the total jobs in the state, according to National Restaurant Association data.
