Craving a DQ treat?

Franchise planning return to Summerside

The Dairy Queen international food franchise is looking to expand and is seriously eyeing a return to Granville Street, Summerside.

Locals craving a Dairy Queen Blizzard may be able to get one right here in Summerside again soon.

The international food franchise is looking to expand and is seriously eyeing a return to Granville Street. The company had a presence in the city for nearly 20 years until 2012 when its lone location here closed.

Eric Rochefort, franchise development manager with Dairy Queen, said Thursday that the company’s Charlottetown location was, for many years, the top performing DQ in Canada and currently remains in the top 10. The restaurant’s popularity here and other considerations mean the company is looking to give the community another try.

“Our brand is doing extremely well in the Maritimes and Newfoundland so we’re kind of cranking up the machine here to get some growth going again on the Island, and the Maritimes as well,” said Rochefort.

“We feel it’s time to get back and have a stronger presence in the area.”

The company has erected a sign at the corner of Granville Street and Walker Avenue advertising that it is interested in finding a local franchisee. DQ is eyeing that property as its future home, but that is not yet set in stone.

Rochefort said he’s already had a lot of interest and feedback since the sign went up. He’s hoping to find a hands-on local resident to eventually take over the franchise, he said. Realistically though, he added, it will take some time to make a deal and build the new restaurant. The first Blizzard is not likely to go through the doors until sometime in 2018.