The Dairy Queen in downtown Moorhead, Minn., has that quintessential mid-century look with slanted roof and red and white striped awning. It stands out for more than its retro look. The location serves its own unique mix of items, shunning its corporate overlord and the standard menu fare.
The unique setup is a by-product of a 66-year-old contract, reports the Associated Press. The DQ was set up in 1949, and the deal allows the location to dish out treats long since removed from other DQ menus as well as the owner’s choice of other add-ons.
“If we changed to the new corporate way, virtually all our food items would be gone,” owner Troy DeLeon, told the Associated Press. “The corporate way is everything exactly the same.”
This includes meal items such as barbecue sandwiches and Polish sausages as well as the location’s much-loved frozen treats, with unique toppings (some discontinued by corporate). The favorite dessert items include: the Mr. Maltie, a chocolate malt on a stick; the Monkey Tail, a chocolate-covered frozen banana; and the Chipper Sandwich, a chocolate cookie, vanilla ice-cream sandwich dipped in chocolate.
Dairy Queen is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.