Dairy Queen eyes return to Summerside

Dairy Queen is looking to return to Summerside, P.E.I., after its last franchise there closed in 2012.

Eric Rochefort, a franchise developer, said the company is talking to potential franchisees and landlords, with an eye to opening a stand-alone building in late 2018 or some time in 2019.

Some franchises including the previous Dairy Queen and a Starbucks have pulled up stakes from the Island's second city in recent years, but Rochefort was confident that a return was in the offing.

"Typically Dairy Queen does extremely well in these — with all due respect — the smaller markets, smaller towns," he said. "Our brand is 77 years old. The population base right now as it stands is more than sufficient. We do extremely well in these types of settings, so there's no reason why we would not do well.

"It doesn't really matter what brand you have on your building. You've got to get a great and a strong operator who gets involved in the community."

Prototypical restaurant

Rochefort said the restaurant would be a "prototypical Grill and Chill" with a full selection of burgers and ice cream, a drive-thru and a patio.

Dairy Queen has a sign up in Summerside on Sobeys property across the street from the old DQ location on Granville Street.

Rochefort said Dairy Queen has restaurants on Sobeys properties in a number of places, and it's a possibility for Summerside, though the company is not 100 per cent decided on the site. For the franchisee he said he's looking for someone with deep roots in the community.

"We know that we're going to be back there," he said. "It's about getting the right partnership with the right people."

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