Fulfilling a dream that spanned nearly two decades, Barbara Land — the longtime manager of Dairy Queen in The Dalles — has now become the owner of the business.
Barbara and her husband, David Land, celebrated Oct. 13 with drawings, a prize wheel, cake and a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony.
“It turned out really well,” said Barbara. “The weather could have been better, but it was good to see the turnout, even in the cold and wet.”
Barbara and David, who have been married for four years, have deep roots in the community. David, who is general sales manager at Ray Schultens Motors, has lived in The Dalles for about 35 years, while Barbara has been in the community for about 26 years — including the last 19 years as manager of DQ.
The couple divide their Dairy Queen responsibilities, with David handling the books behind the scenes and Barbara overseeing the day-to-day operations of the restaurant.
“David is good with numbers, and he does the accounting,” Barbara said. “It’s a good blend between the two of us.”
Barbara started her career with the Hood River Dairy Queen in 1997, and after a few months of training, she took over management of the DQ in The Dalles.
She said the dream of business ownership has been with her from the beginning, even before the franchise in The Dalles was built.
“The day of my interview (with Dan Nielsen, co-owner of the Hood River DQ), I said my goal was to become owner,” she said. “We signed the paperwork to buy it on my 19th anniversary of being hired.”
“We are so excited to be working with the new ‘local’ owners of Dairy Queen,” said Camille Terry, membership and events coordinator with The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce. “It is great to know that Barbara Land will continue the high level of community support and customer service that she has been producing over the years.”
Barbara said customers need not worry that the new owners will alter the DQ’s menu.
“There will be a few new things, but no major changes in the menu,” she said.
However, one big change the Lands do want to see is a substantial remodeling of the dining area to create more space for customers.
“We’re looking at potentially expanding to give us some more dining room seating,” she said.
“I want to do atrium windows and expand out 16 to 20 feet to the west, but I’m not sure corporate will go for it. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
Barbara said her business philosophy is a basic one.
“I just try to treat my staff like family,” she said. “We have such faithful, loyal guests, and we try to keep it small town and family-oriented.”
Although she is now the owner, Barbara said her approach to the business hasn’t changed.
“It doesn’t feel any different from before,” she explained.
“It’s the exact same job as over the last 19 years. I always ran the business as if it was mine, because it was my name and my reputation on the line.”
She added that she hopes to provide growth opportunities for others, and for her 27 employees in particular.
“I’m really blessed to have the opportunity to do this for the community and for kids, to help teach them a work ethic,” she said.
“I really enjoy my job, my community, and my guests. I like going to work every morning.”
The Dalles Dairy Queen, located at 403 Cherry Heights Road, is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
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