More changes on Main Street as Dairy Queen evolves

Meaghan Rowader (left), and Mackenzie Pietrzyk are two of this summer’s employees at the Manchester Dairy Queen. Jared Greenfield, Mackenzie’s boyfriend, is also frequently a fixture at the store.

In the early 1960s, the late Francis Heckaman built and started the Dairy Queen location on the River Raisin where we all enjoy it today. Some people may still remember that for a few years prior to that, the “DQ” was located on West Austin Road, across from the cemetery. But for nearly 60 years, this iconic building with its unique location adjacent to the dam has been a destination for Dairy Queen cool treats.

At the end of 2018, however, Jeff and Crystal Fahey will be changing from the Dairy Queen brand and beginning a new chapter in their 26-year ownership of the business they purchased from Bob and Marjorie Niehaus in the early 1990s.

“In some ways, it was forced upon us,” Jeff Fahey says. “The updates to the building and equipment often cost us more than $10,000 per year; for next year we would have needed to spend nearly $40,000 to keep up with the changes required by the Dairy Queen corporation. We had to make a business decision and it was not an easy one to make. Dairy Queen is a classic business, but we simply could no longer keep up with those $1,000,000 franchises. As much as the community has supported us, Manchester is just not the kind of town where you’re going to make that much money to be able to invest such large amounts in constantly-changing equipment and services.”

So, the Faheys are at a crossroads and will soon be making more decisions about the future direction of their business.

“The only thing I’m 100 percent certain about is that I don’t want to quit and leave a hole in the downtown business district,” says Jeff. “We will try something else. We need to figure out what options we have to continue serving this community, perhaps in ways that we couldn’t do as a Dairy Queen.”

Crystal agrees. “We have had a lot of requests for more carry-out types of food, as well as healthier options–like fresh fruit toppings. With Dairy Queen, we were limited in what we were allowed to serve, and that often changed by the year. So, maybe we can branch out and start to expand our menu and make changes that will suit our customers even better.”

The couple is considering their next steps while trying to quell concerns that leaving the franchise might harm their business.

“We are vested in this town. We are raising our kids here in Manchester; going to Manchester schools,” Jeff says. “We donate to the library, the schools, the CRC. We  participate in downtown events. We want to see things moving forward here. We have been great ambassadors for the brand, but it has come to the point where we needed to make this change.”

Indeed, many websites geared to DQ aficionados mention the unique site of the Manchester Dairy Queen which overlooks the river and dam, along with the rest of the village. People have come from near and far to enjoy a cool treat along the banks of the River Raisin.

And they will still be able to do so; it just won’t be a “Dairy Queen” treat.

“We will offer pretty much everything that we currently have, but we will make additions and changes that are in keeping with our locale and our customers’ wishes,” Jeff says. “A lot of people still aren’t aware that we have started doing cakes this year. Crystal does a great job with them, and they have been very popular. That is something that’s really taken off, and we will keep them on our menu.”

Like some other Manchester businesses, there’s definitely a family aspect to the Faheys’ business after their 26-year run. Employees have come and gone; many have come back for a summer or longer, and now some are coming back as parents, bringing their kids. They even have some second-generation employees who have worked for them.

“We’ve had some really good, really outstanding help over the years,” Jeff says. “We really would like to do some kind of celebration to show our appreciation for all the kids who have worked for us. They have really helped us make our business what it is today; they have given our customers great service. They have worked hard and we’re proud of them. We’ve also had a lot of fun working with them.”

Jeff and Crystal emphasize that they fully intend to stay involved in the community, even as their business changes. They want to make the best of a situation that wasn’t entirely their choice, and so they plan to open next spring, as usual, simply not as a Dairy Queen store. They hope to be able to continue to improve their facility and keep changing and evolving to meet their customers’ needs. They will be putting up a suggestion box to get feedback from customers about what they’d like to see (or not see) at the ice cream shop next year and in the years to come.

“We want to impress on everyone that we truly believe in the importance of doing things locally,” Jeff says. “That’s what makes this community tick. Manchester is a really amazing, one-of-a-kind community–you won’t find anything like this anywhere else. I wouldn’t trade my 26 years in business here for anything.

“There’s a lot of give and take; we give a lot to the community and we receive a lot in return. We see this decision as a challenge, and an opportunity to do things even better in the future.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.