Fast-food royalty is set for a Flin Flon reign.
Dairy Queen has announced plans to open a restaurant in the community by mid-2019, bringing its famed grilled and frozen treats to the local market. “I can tell you that we do plan on being in that marketplace, open and operating within two years on the outside date,” said Chris Falle, director of franchise development for International Dairy Queen Canada Inc. “It will happen. It’s a matter of when.”
Falle made the announcement in an interview Dairy Queen arranged with The Reminder to discuss the chain’s Manitoba expansion plans. He said the Flin Flon restaurant would be one of Dairy Queen’s “prototype” units, featuring seating for 72 customers and a drive-through. The restaurant would span 2,600 square feet. Dairy Queen is working with a franchisee to secure property in Flin Flon and is currently looking at two potential sites, Falle said.
He was not prepared to disclose the locations at this time. He said Dairy Queen does renovate existing buildings from time to time, typically in urban markets, but the chain’s desire is to construct a new building for Flin Flon.
The restaurant would create 45 to 60 jobs, said Falle, adding that many Dairy Queen outlets are largely staffed by part-time workers under the age of 18. Falle said Flin Flon was high on the radar of both Dairy Queen and the franchisee with whom the chain is working. The chain was drawn to the community by market analytics that factored in the area’s population of 5,000-plus people, a benchmark for the chain.
“From a population base, obviously we’ve got that population base in excess of 5,000 residents and [it’s] really no different than a lot of the small-town [markets] that we’re in, whether it’s Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba,” Falle said. “You know, where we seem to thrive is those locations where franchisees can live and do business in that same community.”
While the Flin Flon area is already home to several fast-food and takeout restaurants, Falle is confident Dairy Queen can succeed in this market. “I think Dairy Queen has a very unique niche,” he said, citing the chain’s fast food, high-end sandwiches, and frozen cakes and treats.
One of the world’s largest fast-food chains, Dairy Queen plans to open 20 to 25 new restaurants across Manitoba within five to seven years. Other planned locations in the province include Thompson, Dauphin and Beausejour along with more outlets in Winnipeg.
