The Classic Ice Cream Chain That's Closing Dozens Of Locations In 2025

It's a difficult time to be in the business of food, period, as the classic ice cream chain Dairy Queen has been closing locations throughout the first half of 2025. Known for its famous (and adorably named) Dilly Bar, and as one of the fast food restaurants that is completely different today from when it first opened, DQ — as it's known colloquially — began its closing spree in February, when it was confirmed that it would be saying goodbye to 25 locations in Texas.

By early April, however, the chain had closed 40 locations in Texas. Customer feedback following the announcements reflected disappointment, though many were unsurprised. One person commented on Facebook, "I think this is sad, but honestly, Dairy Queen isn't what it used to be. It's really gone down downhill," while another mentioned that all the restaurants were showing signs of wear and tear. Others remarked that they preferred Oklahoma City-based chain Braum's to Dairy Queen anyway.

Financial woes have plagued the food sector for months now, with the likes of Hooters and Bar Louie filing for bankruptcy in March, along with other fast food chains like Wendy's closing stores in 2024. However, Dairy Queen's recent restaurant closures in the Lone Star State aren't necessarily indicative of a chain-wide issue; rather, they stem from a single franchisee, who owns the locations under the name Project Lonestar and apparently refused to make the renovations requested by the parent company, Dairy Queen.

Rather than invest the no-doubt thousands of dollars needed to bring the restaurants up to scratch, the franchisee opted instead to close the locations and attempt to sell them. While there was an interested buyer, parent company DQ stepped in and refused to allow the restaurants to change hands, and the sale did not go through. However, the franchisee did sell the contents of the restaurants on Local Auctions, an online marketplace for auctions, including Dairy Queen's signature Blizzard machines. Imagine having one of those at home — you could whip up a Cookie Jar Blizzard, one of those secret fast food menu items everyone should try, whenever the craving hit!