Don’t let summer end without stopping by Dairy Queen

Welcome back to another Spotlight Series with Sarah! The series where the writer gets to know the city more personally, while the readers get to know the writer better in the process.
The end of August was loaded with lots of rain, followed by terrible heat and humidity. Both of those types of weather have prevented me from being able to walk my dog, Zeke.
Rain is a no for me because I have a terrible immune system and would catch a cold immediately. Heat and humidity is a no for Zeke because dogs can overheat very quickly in high temperatures.
Because walks outside have been a no-go, I look for other ways for Zeke to get physical exercise or mental stimulation. Sometimes I take him for car rides, stop by pet stores, or take him to get a pup cup.
On Tuesday, September 1st, that’s exactly what I did. It was another 90 degree day, but I decided to take Zeke for a car ride to Dairy Queen to get a sweet treat to cool off.

Zeke getting ready to devour his pup cup.

There is a large awning over the side of the building where the window you place your order is at. This is great because Zeke and I got to stand in the shade while I placed our order and I didn’t have to worry about him being in the sun for too long or overheating.
If you’ve never been to Dairy Queen before, you might be overwhelmed with the amount of options on the menu. There are Sparklers, Coolers, Shakes, Smoothies, Misty Slush, Moo Lattes, Sundaes, Cones, and much more.
I ordered a small S’mores Blizzard for myself (since I still needed to hit the gym that day) and a pup cup for Zeke.
Zeke kept putting his front paws on the counter to get lots of attention from the Dairy Queen employees.
Once our order was placed, we walked to the front of the building on Wayne Rd. to the pick-up window. Zeke knew he was getting a treat and he was ready the second the window door opened.
The employee did the signature Blizzard move by turning my Blizzard upside down before handing it to me, along with Zeke’s pup cup.
I took Zeke to the picnic tables on the Chestnut St. side of the building to enjoy our treats.
Zeke’s pup cup was vanilla ice cream with a Milk-Bone dog treat on top and he devoured it within a few minutes. No complaints from Zeke.
My S’mores Blizzard was the perfect treat on such a hot day. The soft serve was creamy with crushed graham crackers and marshmallow filled chocolate pieces. Every bite truly tasted like a s’mores.
There are so many different items I want to try on the menu, but every time I come back to Dairy Queen I always get the S’mores Blizzard because it’s a limited time item and I know it’s going to be amazing every time. Dairy Queen has been in Wayne since the 1950s. “Dairy Queen is an awesome company to represent,” said Mike Petrou, Dairy Queen owner. Petrou and his wife, Jenn, purchased the business from his parents, John and Anna Petrou, in 2015. John and Anna had owned the business for 27 years. Before them, Petrou’s parents’ aunt and uncle, Pete and Eileen Lekas, owned the business for 40 years.
To Petrou, Dairy Queen has been a family business for almost 80 years.
Petrou has two favorite parts about his job. The first being the customers and how multiple times a week, someone will come to the business and mention how they used to come here when they were younger and talk about all the changes within the city. “I just let them tell their story. It always puts a smile on my face. And for this business to be part of that story, it’s awesome,” said Petrou.
The second favorite part being his staff. “We’re a very small business in a small city able to provide jobs for teenagers or people that maybe couldn’t find a job anywhere else. The fact I can do that is really rewarding,” said Petrou.
Dairy Queen will close for the season in mid-October and re-open on March 1st.
“On opening day, it doesn’t matter if it’s snowy or sunny out, people will come out. The community embraces us with open arms,” said Petrou.
Some of Dairy Queen’s best-selling items are: Peanut Buster Parfait, banana split, and (since the 80’s) Blizzards, specifically Oreo, New York cheesecake, and Reese’s. Some of their new items are: Fruity Pebbles shake and for fall cravings: Pumpkin Pie Blizzard and Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Blizzard. Make sure you try some of Dairy Queen’s new or best-selling items before it closes for the season.
Dairy Queen is located at 3007 S Wayne Rd and is open 12 – 9 p.m. Sunday – Saturday. For more information about Dairy Queen, call (734) 729-1020. “We love our Wayne community, we appreciate you, and it’s because of you that we have a job and are able to serve the community,” said Petrou.