One of Penticton’s longest standing restaurants is back in business, Dairy Queen opened its doors Monday at 5 p.m.
“The store went from a 40-year-old plus building into a Grill and Chill which is the high-end Dairy Queen,” said co-owner Erik Malmsten. “We also carry the Orange Julius line and added a drive through, which the business never had before.”
Malmsten and his business partner Ross Cook purchased the Dairy Queen located at 1449 Main Street in October of 2011. The Kelowna businessmen had been looking at a number of different restaurant operations before they chose Dairy Queen in Penticton.
“After a preliminary investigation into Dairy Queen, we were actually quite impressed with the product and with the franchise. Our initial contacts with them were very positive and its something we decided to pursue further,” said Malmsten.
After purchasing the franchise they new a renovation was needed. What was expected to be a small renovation over the winter months, turned into a complete overhaul.
“Our slight renovation turned into a brand new store. We demolished the whole building right down to the slab, so our small renovation turned into a brand new store. We made the decision of instead of having a half done store, we would do it properly,” said Malmsten.
Almost all of the equipment inside is also new and Malmsten said while the interior was dated, items like the seating package got surprisingly scooped up quick at auction because it is trendy for interior designers.
Now open seven days a week, Dairy Queen jumped from a staff of 15 in the old store to now over 40 people working there. And, they are still accepting resumes. The owners expect to hold a grand opening as soon as they get employees trained up and the customer service at its highest level.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience in getting the store back and we invite everyone to come take a look at the new and improved version,” said Malmsten.