Milford Dairy Queen undergoes facelift

Terry RogersBusiness

The iconic downtown Milford Dairy Queen is getting a facelift under its new owners

As the new owners of the Milford Dairy Queen located on North Walnut Street, Chris Schatzschneider wants to put Milfordian’s fears at ease. He explained that he and his family had gotten many calls begging them not to tear down the iconic building.

“We had no intention of tearing the building down,” Schatzschneider said. “Dairy Queen corporate actually came to look at it after we purchased it and asked us to tear it down and build new, but we decided we wanted it to keep as much of its original look as possible. Instead, we are just giving it a little bit of a facelift.”

Schatzschneider, whose mother owns Taylor and Messick in Harrington, explained that his father had always wanted to purchase the downtown Milford Dairy Queen. The family began talking to Steve Bennett and eventually worked out a deal to purchase the location.

“We have upgraded the interior with new floors, an HVAC system, new equipment and a point-of-sale system,” Schatzschneider said. “We are keeping the exterior as much the same as possible although we are replacing the windows since the original ones did not work well during hot and cold weather. Our goal is to remain open at that location all year. The food line that Dairy Queen has created recently is phenomenal and we are hoping to promote that more.”

In addition to the interior renovations, a 30-seat outdoor area surrounded by a fence will be added to the location. Bollards have been placed around the parking area for safety and the entire parking area is being resurfaced.

“We are in the process of painting the exterior,” Schatzschneider said. “Right now, it has a coat of yellow primer. The colors must be approved by Dairy Queen, so we are waiting for the new paint to arrive. The roof will remain the same red color. We looked at adding a drive-thru, but the location isn’t really a good place for that. We started the process through DelDOT, but it was so complicated we decided against it.”

The downtown location will offer delivery through GrubHub and DoorDash. People can also download the Dairy Queen app and place orders that way. Schatzschneider explained that they have hired a General Manager who has nine years’ experience with Dairy Queen as well as a leader. They are hoping to hire two more leaders and additional crew members. Information about how to apply for the position can be found on their Facebook page.

“We are excited to open,” Schatzschneider said. “This is an iconic Dairy Queen and so many people have come forward to say how many fond memories they have. Senator Wilson recalls going to this location as a child. We are hoping to open the end of April if all equipment arrives in time.”

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