St. Cloud 25th and Division Dairy Queen Closes This Sunday

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing. I've only lived in St. Cloud for a little over 20 years and even I'm a little (Mr.) misty over the 'closing' of the Dairy Queen on Division. Technically it's not going away, just the building is disappearing.

If you haven't heard, you must be living out of town, under a rock or listening to other St. Cloud radio stations that couldn't care less about what's going on in St. Cloud.

It all started back, nearly a year ago on September 9th, when the news broke that CVS Pharmacy had swept in and made the owners of the DQ and Mexican Village Two an offer they apparently couldn't refuse.

When the Walgreen's moved to the kitty-corner location across from the St. Cloud landmark, it's fate was sealed. You see, in a bold and idiotic marketing plan, CVS Pharmacies seek out Walgreen's locations and build across the street from them.

Bob Lahr, the third generation owner of the DQ, told our big brother radio station WJON; the decision was also spurred on by the city's long-term plan to eventually widen Division, which would force them to move anyway. So he said the deal made sense.

But still, that DQ has been at that location AND in the same building since 1949, and it's been under the same family's ownership since 1953. Just about everyone you know that has lived here since then has had a Dilly Bar, Mr. Misty, Blizzard or a cone from the iconic ice cream shop.

The plan is to close Sunday, tear it down sometime in September, then rebuild and hopefully be ready for their usual opening in late February.

I'll miss looking at it as I cruised down Division, using the length of the lines to judge the temperature outside. If you thought that place was busy during the warm summer months, wait til you see the explosion of ice cream screamers this weekend.