Texas Dairy Queen Franchisee Opens 9th Restaurant in 40 Months

Offers Free Steakfinger Baskets For A Year

Fort Worth, TX (RestaurantNews.com) How does a first-time franchisee go from one location to nine in just forty months? According to Michael Clarke, the owner of Lickety Split Food Services and a proud Texas Dairy Queen franchisee, it’s as easy as 1-2-3-4!

“We opened our first location in Euless, Texas in April 2013 and now, exactly 1,234 days later, we’ll open the doors to our 9th location in beautiful Fort Worth, where the West begins and folks love their local DQ!” enthused Clarke.

Texas Dairy Queen Franchisee Opens 9th Restaurant in 40 Months

Welcome to the newest Dairy Queen Restaurant in the nation on Bridge Street at the crossroads of I-30 and I-820. This is the third Fort Worth DQ for Clarke–all nine locations are in the greater North Tarrant County area.

Texas Dairy Queen Franchisee Opens 9th Restaurant in 40 Months The doors open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 15. There is a door crasher special two days later, on Saturday, September 17: the first 100 customers who buy a DQ Blizzard^® Cake will receive a “Bridge Street DQ Premier Customer” membership card that entitles them to fifty-two free Steak Finger Country Baskets (one per week for an entire year). Says Clarke, “We like to meet our most passionate customers, hear their DQ stories, and celebrate our opening by giving them a deal that lasts an entire year.”

Clarke attributes his rapid growth to focusing on four key areas:

Great Locations: Folks in the DFW-area were asking, “Where did all the DQs go?” We saw opportunity and with the help of a great developer partner, Southlake’s Conifer Real Estate, we continue to acquire premium real estate and construct some of nicest looking restaurants in the nation on some of the busiest highways in the State of Texas.
Multi-unit DQ owner/operator Michael Clarke.

Great People: Recruiting and retaining talented people is the most pressing priority our team accomplishes. Our industry has high systemic turnover and the DFW restaurant staffing sector is highly competitive. We won’t grow without a team united in our vision. We treat our crew with respect, train them perpetually, and promote from within.
Great Operations: Our facilities are all brand-new. We maintain them with pride and we insist on keeping them spotless. Our service staff are trained with an emphasis on genuine Texas-style hospitality. We want to serve our customers with a smile, not just take their orders as fast as we can. And our food and treats are prepared within a system that ensures we deliver fresh on our promise to be better than you remember.
Community Engagement: For over 75-years, the local DQ has been a place to celebrate after a game, go on a banana split date, reward yourself with a Blizzard^® treat, or just meet your friends and neighbors. We then take it a step further with our involvement and support of local churches, schools, hospitals, sport teams, and community groups.

Texas Dairy Queen Franchisee Opens 9th Restaurant in 40 Months — General Manager, Tony Soriano

“People across Texas, when they think of Dairy Queen, they have great memories,” says GM Tony Soriano. “It’s a special place. It’s where kids come after school, it’s where grandparents take their grandkids. We all remember going to our local Dairy Queen to commemorate and celebrate. DQ memories are fond memories, and our commitment is that the Bridge Street DQ will create memories for a new generation of DQ fans.”

Soriano didn’t hold back when asked why Bridge Street was chosen for a DQ location, “Fort Worth is a great city, and the support we’ve received at our other Fort Worth locations has been phenomenal. Cowtown citizens love Texas, fun, and food. There just is not a better place for a Dairy Queen restaurant! We are thrilled to welcome our guests to enjoy our great food, friendly service, and an amazing restaurant. We’re all about giving our customers an exceptional experience.”

The 3,465 s.f. restaurant was built by Arlington’s RifCon and used all local contractors. It is being staffed by local employees (over 70 have been hired), and is owned and operated by long-time Tarrant County resident Michael Clarke. You may have seen Clarke driving around in his DQ-red 1956 Ford F100. You can’t miss it, as it is as sure to put as big a smile on your face as a Dilly Bar.

The Bridge Street DQ restaurant is considered a “flagship” restaurant within the DQ system, because it blends the best of DQ’s iconic history with the most modern innovations in the quick-service restaurant industry. Highlighted by the open-air grill and separate chill sections, the restaurant features comfortable booths and large tables, warm lighting, country music, HD televisions, free Wi-Fi, and an environment designed to encourage customers to make this their Dairy Queen.

The food menu features Hungr-Buster^® burgers, Country Baskets^®, and Texas T-Brand Tacos^®. The state-of-the-art kitchen showcases some of the most advanced appliances, but Soriano reiterates that it comes down to the great DQ taste, “We’re flame-broiling our burgers, we’re sourcing the freshest ingredients, and we’re training our staff to prepare the food with excellence so that our guests enjoy the great taste of Texas in every bite.”

Don’t forget the soft-serve treats: Blizzards^®, Dilly Bars^®, and those cones with the curls on top. Unique to the Bridge Street DQ is its dedication to DQ Cakes and Cupcakes. A culinary-schooled and certified pastry chef creates frozen celebratory works of art to ensure your special occasion is as delicious as it is beautiful.

The restaurant can seat 72 guests inside and another 24 outside in the open-air patio. From the entrance doors with iconic DQ red spoons for handles, to the interior finish of slate and maple — this DQ really is better than you remember.

Texas Dairy Queen Franchisee Opens 9th Restaurant in 40 Months