The Very First Dairy Queen in Joliet on Route 66-- Part 2

After the ceremony, the people walked five blocks north on Chicago Street (Route 66). John Gainos, president and CEO of the Minnesota-based DQ International had been in Chicago for the National Restaurant Association convention at McCormick Center. He didn't even know the original building was still standing until Joliet notified him.

On June 22, 1940, Sherb Noble opened the store and made a whopping $4,000 the first year and on his most profitable day, made $88. All of this, of course, on that road where you can get your kicks and, evidently, soft-serve.

However, Mr. Noble did not invent soft-serve ice cream. J.F. McCullough thought ice cream served at 0 degrees "froze your taste buds." He found a machine that dispensed the treat at 22 degrees and, soft serve ice cream (not frozen).

In the 1940s, the area around the original Dairy Queen was mainly Slovenian, but now it is mostly Hispanic. The sign on the building reads, "Jesus Christ is Lord."

The original DQ closed in the early 1950s and the site has been many businesses since then.

It sure would be nice if Dairy Queen would turn the original place into a museum.

Just Saying.... --RoadDog