The Facebook post announcing the opening of Charlotte Dairy Queen was barely minutes old when the lines began to form. People in the Charlotte community were ready to check out the new building and eager for some soft serve ice cream.
Owners Brett and Megan Roberts opened their new shop Monday, April 2 and have been working diligently to keep up with demand since, while working to get staff acquainted with the new space and new equipment.
“We were extremely efficient in the old store,” Brett said. “It was so small that everything had its place. Now we’re learning where everything needs to go. It’s a totally new system, but we’ll get there. It just may take some time.”
By the time summer rolls around, Brett said he will have doubled the size of his staff in the old shop. He and Megan are currently accepting applications, and will likely hire 15 part-time employees over the next few months.
In the meantime, staff is figuring out the new ice cream machines, the new drive thru, and how to best utilize all of the extra space. The new store is approximately 2,000-square feet, offering indoor seating for nearly 40 individuals. The former store was only 500 square feet and could not accommodate the new ice cream machines that all Dairy Queen franchises are required to use.
“We figured if we had to build a new store, we would do it right,” Brett said. “We knew we wanted to add the drive thru.”
Despite the new facility, Charlotte Dairy Queen offers the same menu it has previously, including pulled pork sandwiches, and chili dogs in addition to their large selection of ice cream and ice cream cakes (decorated by Charlotte’s Eldora Howe). Brett said he and Megan are discussing the possibility of adding to the menu in the coming months.
“We’re hoping our customers will be patient with us as we figure out our new system,” Brett said. “So far everyone has been really positive.”
Dairy Queen is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
