Woodbury DQ: The Cherry on the Sundae

As weather finally took a turn for the better on Father’s Day, the Woodbury Dairy Queen had its busiest day in five years.

That’s saying something for the local shop, which in 2011 sold more ice cream than any other DQ in the world, said owner Scott Bolles, who lives in Woodbury.

Since his father built it 1992, the Woodbury DQ has been one of the company’s top performers, and was likely No. 1 in the five-state region in terms of ice cream sales in 2012, despite a dip because of the Valley Creek Road construction, Bolles said.

The popularity of the Woodbury DQ has earned Bolles several company awards over the years, but they’re not found on display at the shop.

“I’ve got a ton of plaques and they’re all up in the rafters at my house,” he said.

Bolles attributed his success to putting out a quality product with quality employees.

The Woodbury Dairy Queen tries to keep its workers around longer than similar establishments, with bonuses for employees who work top shifts, a “college bound” program, and a family atmosphere.

Literally.

Two sets of DQ employees have gone on to get married, and one woman who started working at the store at age 15 (and still does on occasion) now has a daughter who works there, Bolles said.

He also noted how much time his wife Tracy puts in; she spent 10 hours decorating ice cream cakes on Sunday. (About 200 were sold for Father’s Day.)

The Woodbury DQ has been a top-10 store in the nation for the past 20 years, said Brian Lipinksi, one of the general managers.

“If you come in at night during summer you’ll see a few soccer teams, a couple softball teams, baseball teams,” he said.

The Woodbury DQ handles about twice as much business as it was designed for, Bolles said. The drive-thru will at times serve 100 cars an hour.

Bolles has considered expanding—the future McDonald’s site near SuperTarget was an option at one point.

“We’re always looking for an opportunity,” he said.

Bolles grew up in Woodbury.

“I used to have cows in my backyard,” he said, “and now it’s the high school.”

Asked to name his favorite item on the menu, Bolles kept it a secret, but said his father enjoys Butterfinger Blizzards.

“That’s all he wants,” he said.

Bolles acknowledged that nostalgia keeps people coming back, but the popularity of the Woodbury Dairy Queen is easy to see.