The 25 shutdowns from February also had their assets liquidated and auctioned off, per the website LocalAuctions.com.
Excluding Coke machines, CO2 tanks, tea brewers, ice cream machines, and IT equipment, the “complete contents” remaining inside of each Dairy Queen are up for sale.
Bids for the remaining items ranged from $450 to $2,650.
Dairy Queen was founded in 1940.
Throughout the 1950s it became a quintessential American fast food spot, known mostly for its burgers and ice cream.
It’s famously owned by Warren Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, which acquired the chain in 1997, per Forbes.
Buffett wanted to invest because of Dairy Queen’s quality approach and its potential scalability.
CASUAL CHAIN CHAOS
Some fast-casual restaurant chains have also been taking some serious hits in the past year and are closing restaurants, filing for bankruptcy, or both.
Red Lobster notably went bankrupt in May of last year and closed over 100 locations before re-emerging months later with $60 million in additional funding and a new CEO.
TGI Fridays also has a “long-term” plan after a Chapter 11 filing and a similar shutdown amount of around 100 restaurants.
Additionally, beloved chain On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is shuttering 70 spots after its bankruptcy filing in March.
Dairy Queen competitors like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are also making some menu updates for spring and summer.
A huge “shakeup” from McDonald’s is coming, for example, but diners have already slammed it as “false advertising.”
Chick-fil-A also confirmed in March that a new dressing would be brought to its iconic lineup.
