**Dairy Queen (DQ)** is an American multinational fast-food chain renowned for its innovative soft-serve ice cream, alongside hot foods like burgers, fries, and treats such as the iconic Blizzard.[1][2][4] Headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, it operates over 6,000 locations worldwide, making it the largest seller of soft frozen desserts globally.[1][2] The story began in 1938 near Moline, Illinois, when entrepreneur John Fremont "J.F." McCullough and his son Alex perfected a revolutionary soft-serve formula—creamier and dispensed at a higher temperature than traditional ice cream.[2][3][4][5] They tested it at friend Sherb Noble's shop in Kankakee, selling 1,600 servings in two hours during an "All You Can Eat" event.[4][5] This success led to the first DQ opening on June 22, 1940, in Joliet, Illinois—a walk-up stand offering cones, sundaes, and pints with no seating.[1][3][4][7] Franchising fueled explosive growth: from 10 stores in 1941 to 100 by 1947, 1,446 in 1950, and 2,600 across North America by 1955, producing 1 million gallons of ice cream annually.[1][3][4][6] Canada joined in 1953 (Estevan, Saskatchewan), followed by Panama in 1959.[6][8] Menu innovations included malts and shakes (1949), banana splits (1951), Dilly Bars (1955), and the Brazier hot-food line (1957).[3][4][6] Key achievements highlight DQ's adaptability. The 1985 Blizzard—a thick, upside-down-proof mix-in treat—sold 175 million units in its debut year, transforming the brand.[5] Acquired b