DQ coming back to Foothills
BMX track reopens, AeroCare moves into the airport
I’m thrilled to report that Dairy Queen is coming back to the Foothills. Ironically, as one reader pointed out, it will be right across from where the old DQ was torn down to make way for a Carl’s Jr.
However, the ice cream and treat store will be under new ownership. Franchisees and husbandand-wife team Raman and Ramandeep Kalra are building the new DQ in the Pioneer Shopping Center at 11280 S. Fortuna Road. The property is now being prepared and construction will soon be underway.
Kalra Hospitality LLC of Phoenix owns several dozens of DQs around the state, in particular in the Phoenix metro area.
In doing research, I learned Raman’s interesting story. According to www.1851franchise.com, DQ’s brand page, when Raman immigrated to the United States in 2001, he had $1,000 in his pocket. While Ramandeep went to school, Raman worked every job he could to make ends meet, from dishwasher to bartender. He saved as much money as he could with the dream of one day owning a business.
Raman told 1851: “I was still unfamiliar with a lot of American brands — but I knew that the Dairy Queen system was one with a great legacy. So one day, I asked a bar patron what he thought about the brand. His eyes lit up with a smile and a story. That was when I knew this was the opportunity for me and the right plan — I could create a fulfilling career for myself while also helping to serve hundreds of happy customers a day.”
In 2011, Kalra took over his first Dairy Queen restaurant. I look forward to their newest franchise in Yuma County! *** After shutting down in September, Yuma BMX Track, 3067 S. Pacific Ave., has reopened under a new operator, Chris Warnock. He raced in the 1980s and got away from the sport for a while. He got back into it with his kids and they have since traveled all across the United States.
Yuma BMX will host an open house on Saturday. Warnock and supporters have been fixing up the track and are trying to raise money for more improvements. After the closure, “everything dried out,” he noted.
The property is leased from Yuma County for