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Dairy Queen considers return to Squamish

Squamish high on the radar, says franchise director
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Dairy Queen may be returning to Squamish.

Next time you flip a coin, know that the chances of you getting “heads” are identical to the odds Dairy Queen will come back to Squamish in the spring next year.

“I would say right now with where we’re at, I would say it’s 50-50,” said Chris Falle, the company’s director of franchise development in Canada. “Is Squamish high on our radar? Absolutely.”

The company is having serious talks with potential franchisees and is scouting out the area to see how the town would receive a Dairy Queen, he said.

“We’re very seriously in negotiations with a particular development group up there on a piece of property.” said Falle. “We’re in the early stages of our due diligence on the market.”

So far, the response has been positive.

A potential franchisee posted a Facebook message on March 3 asking Squamish residents if they’d like to see the restaurant return to town.

As of writing this article, 182 people have liked the status and hundreds of commenters have expressed enthusiasm with the idea.
  Falle said the company is considering returning to Squamish for a variety of reasons.

“It hits right in that sweet spot from a population base anywhere between 20,000 to 25,000 residents,” he said. “Dairy Queen is very much small town.”

He said the company’s brand has also evolved, placing more emphasis on meals as opposed to just treats. This would allow Dairy Queen to adapt well to town, he said.
  The company is considering building a standalone store, complete with a drive-thru in the Solterra development across the street from Home Depot, near the corner of Queens Way and Commercial Way.
  Squamish’s last Dairy Queen closed down years ago. 

Falle said the store was making good money, but said its last owner did not meet store facility standards, forcing the company to shut it down.

He couldn’t provide details on exactly what standards weren’t being met.

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