DQ Grill & Chill Restaurant

What DQ Grill & Chill Restaurant does

International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) operates the Dairy Queen quick-service restaurant franchise system, comprising more than 7,800 independently owned and operated locations across 20+ countries under trademarks including DQ, Dairy Queen, Blizzard, Dilly Bar, Peanut Buster Parfait, MooLatte, and the acquired Orange Julius brand. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, IDQ has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. since 1998. The US market accounts for 4,167 locations and the international footprint spans Canada (via Dairy Queen Canada, Inc., headquartered in Burlington, ON), Latin America and the Caribbean (including Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas, Guyana, and Trinidad & Tobago), the Middle East (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE), and the Asia Pacific region (China, Taiwan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam).

The core product portfolio operates across two pillars: a hot-food platform (DQ Signature Stackburgers in Backyard Bacon Ranch, FlameThrower, Cheese Deluxe, and Bacon Cheese Deluxe varieties, plus chicken strips/baskets, classic burgers, Kids' Meals, $7 Meal Deals, and Chicken Strip party platters for catering) and a frozen-treat platform headlined by Blizzard Treats (blended soft-serve with mix-ins, available in Mini through Large sizes, with seasonal limited-time flavors), Classic Treats (Dilly Bars, cones, sundaes, Peanut Buster Parfait, Banana Split, BUSTER BAR), blended beverages (MooLatte, shakes/malts), Blizzard Cakes, customizable DQ Cakes for celebrations, and the acquired Orange Julius fresh juice and smoothie line. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the DQ Mobile App (launched 2018, iOS/Android) with mobile ordering and receipt scanning, DQ.com online ordering, DQ Rewards loyalty (10 points per $1 spent, redeemable for items like 250-pt fries and 500-pt small Blizzards, points expiring after 365 days), table-side QR-code dine-in ordering, and Sign-in with Apple/Google/Facebook authentication. Order fulfillment extends across in-store dining, drive-thru, curbside pickup, and third-party delivery through DoorDash and UberEats, with frozen items such as cones and sundaes excluded from delivery.

IDQ earns revenue through franchise fees and royalties on the licensee-operated restaurants, sales of DQ products (Blizzard treats, burgers, chicken strips, drinks, cakes) within the system, and gift card transactions (physical and eGift) accepted across participating DQ and Orange Julius locations in the US and Canada. Menu pricing varies by location, with central promotional architecture anchored on bundle value deals including the $7 Meal Deal (main item, fries, 21 oz drink, and a sundae, with a $2 upgrade to a small Blizzard Treat) and 2-for-$5 Value promotions across multiple SKUs. Customer segments span Individual Consumers (primary, quick meals/treats), Families with Children (kids' meal occasions), Families and Celebration Hosts (DQ Cakes), and Franchise Operators (B2B service segment). The system also runs annual cause-marketing events — Miracle Treat Day (benefiting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, with over $195M raised across 42 years) and Free Cone Day — and has maintained the CMN Hospitals partnership since 1984. IDQ is privately held under Berkshire Hathaway ownership and does not publicly disclose segment-level financials.

Name

DQ Grill & Chill Restaurant

Legal name

International Dairy Queen, Inc.

Website

https://dairyqueen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Dairy Queen, Inc. operates a privately held, Berkshire Hathaway-owned franchise quick-service restaurant system of 7,800+ DQ Grill & Chill locations in 20+ countries, serving individual consumers and families with burgers, chicken strips, Blizzard frozen treats, customizable celebration cakes, and a mobile app-based loyalty and ordering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Quick-service restaurants
• Frozen treats
• Soft serve ice cream
• Burger restaurants
• Franchise restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Dairy Queen operates primarily as a franchised restaurant system. Independent franchise operators pay fees and royalties to operate DQ restaurants.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from sale of DQ products including Blizzard treats, burgers, chicken strips, drinks, and cakes at franchise locations.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of DQ gift cards (physical and digital/eGift) accepted at participating DQ and Orange Julius locations in the US and Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) licenses and services the Dairy Queen quick-service restaurant system, with franchise locations selling flame-grilled burgers, chicken strips, sandwiches, meal deals, frozen Blizzard Treats and classic soft-serve desserts under the DQ Grill & Chill restaurant format. Customer-facing digital ordering, the DQ Rewards loyalty program, DQ custom celebration cakes, Orange Julius smoothies, gift cards, and catering party platters round out the offering across 7,800+ locations in 20+ countries.

Product overview

Dairy Queen (DQ Grill & Chill Restaurant) operates a quick-service restaurant system of more than 7,800 locations across 20+ countries, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 1998. The product portfolio is organized around two core pillars: (1) food items including DQ Signature Stackburgers (Backyard Bacon Ranch, FlameThrower, Cheese Deluxe, Bacon Cheese Deluxe), chicken strips and baskets, classic burgers and sandwiches, meal deals (the $7 Meal Deal with $2 Blizzard upgrade), and catering party platters; and (2) frozen treats headlined by the iconic Blizzard Treat (blended soft serve with mix-ins, available in Mini through Large sizes with dozens of varieties including OREO, M&M's, SNICKERS, REESE'S, S'mores, and limited-time seasonal flavors) alongside Classic Treats (Dilly Bars, cones, sundaes, Peanut Buster Parfait, Banana Split, BUSTER BAR). The company also offers DQ Cakes (customizable and pre-made Blizzard Cakes for celebrations), the DQ Rewards loyalty program (earning 10 points per $1 spent, redeemable for food and treats), a consumer mobile app (iOS/Android) for ordering, deal access, receipt scanning, and account management, and online ordering via DQ.com with DoorDash and UberEats third-party delivery. The Orange Julius brand (acquired in 1988) rounds out the beverage portfolio with fruit smoothies and fresh juices. Catering services include chicken strip party platters and side baskets for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DQ Grill & Chill: Modern restaurant format featuring burgers, chicken strips, and Blizzard treats
• DQ Brazier
• DQ Cakes
• DQ Rewards
• Orange Julius

Products and services

• DQ Grill & Chill Restaurant (Store Format) The DQ Grill & Chill restaurant concept combines flame-broiled burgers, chicken strips, sandwiches and meal deals with DQ's signature frozen treats, served at independently owned franchise locations across 20+ countries.
• DQ Online Ordering (DQ.com) Web-based ordering platform accessible at DairyQueen.com that lets customers place pickup or delivery orders for the full DQ menu at participating locations.
• DQ Mobile App Consumer-facing iOS/Android mobile application enabling mobile ordering, pickup, delivery and drive-thru options, DQ Rewards tracking, deal access, receipt scanning, cake ordering, and account management at participating DQ locations.
• DQ Rewards Loyalty Program Points-based customer loyalty program in which members earn 10 DQ Points per $1 spent on qualifying orders and redeem points for free food and Blizzard Treats (e.g., 250 points for free Regular Fries, 500 points for a free Small Blizzard Treat). Includes birthday offers, exclusive deals, and one-click reorders.
• DQ Signature Stackburgers Premium stacked burger line featuring multiple patties, cheeses, and bold toppings in varieties such as Backyard Bacon Ranch, FlameThrower, Cheese Deluxe, and Bacon Cheese Deluxe, available in single, double and triple sizes.
• Blizzard Treats The flagship DQ frozen treat: soft-serve ice cream blended with mix-ins such as candies, cookies and fruits, served upside-down in Mini, Small, Medium and Large sizes, including OREO Cookie, M&M's, SNICKERS, REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup, Butterfinger, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, S'mores, Mint OREO, Choco Brownie Extreme, Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie and limited-time seasonal flavors.
• Classic Treats Traditional DQ frozen treats including Dilly Bars (vanilla and non-dairy), vanilla and chocolate cones (cherry-dipped, cinnamon-dipped), sundaes (hot fudge, caramel, strawberry, chocolate, peanut butter), BUSTER BAR Treats, Peanut Buster Parfait, Banana Split, and HEATH Caramel Brownie Cupfection.
• Chicken Strips & Baskets All-white-meat seasoned chicken strips served as 2, 3 or 4-piece baskets or party platters in 25 to 100 pieces, with dipping sauces such as house-made Hidden Valley ranch, country gravy, BBQ, honey mustard, buffalo, zesty queso and ketchup, available in Original or Flamethrower varieties.
• Meal Deals Bundled quick-service meal combinations at value pricing, including the $7 Meal Deal (3-Piece Chicken Strip or Original Cheeseburger Meal with fries, 21 oz drink and small sundae, with $2 upgrade to a small Blizzard Treat) and the 2 for $5 Value Menu on select items such as Sparklers, chicken strips, fries, cheeseburgers, pretzel sticks, sundaes, soft drinks and chili dogs.
• DQ Cakes (Custom and Pre-Made) Customizable celebration cakes featuring DQ soft serve with a fudgy, crunchy chocolatey center. Customers can personalize colors, text, designs and add photos, with sizes including 10-inch (12-16 servings), 8-inch (8-10 servings), Heart (10-12 servings), Log (8 servings) and Sheet (20-24 servings).
• Blizzard Cakes Pre-made celebration cakes featuring Blizzard-flavored ice cream and toppings, including OREO Blizzard Cake, REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard Cake, and Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard Cake, available for quick pickup at many participating stores.
• DQ Catering (Party Platters) Catering service offering chicken strip party platters in Original or Flamethrower varieties (25, 50, 75 or 100 pieces) and side baskets of fries, onion rings and cheese curds, available for pickup 30 minutes to 7 days in advance.
• Blended Beverages (MooLatte, Shakes, Malts) Frozen blended coffee and shake beverages including MooLatte (Mocha, Caramel and Vanilla), shakes and malts (Vanilla, Chocolate, Caramel, Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Hot Fudge), plus specialty shakes such as Fruity Pebbles and Savannah Bananas.
• Orange Julius Brand offering fresh fruit smoothies and juices including the Orange Julius Original, Tripleberry Premium Fruit Smoothie, Strawberry Banana Julius Original, and Strawberry Banana and Mango Pineapple Premium Fruit Smoothies; available at Orange Julius locations and many DQ locations.
• DQ Gift Cards Physical and digital (eGift) gift cards sold in single or bulk quantities and accepted at participating DQ and Orange Julius locations in the US and Canada, with online and phone balance check.
• Kids' Meals Child-appropriate meal combinations including Kids' Hamburger, Kids' Hot Dog, 2-Piece Chicken Strips, small Fries, Kid's Cone, milk, bottled water, banana and applesauce.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $195 million raised for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals through franchisee and corporate giving programs

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orange JuliuscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1988IDQ purchased the Orange Julius brand in 1988. Orange Julius locations are included in the DQ system and Orange Julius products are offered at many DQ locations. Gift cards are accepted at both DQ and Orange Julius locations.
• Children's Miracle Network HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984DQ system has partnered with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals since 1984, raising more than $195 million for local hospitals. Franchisees participate in Miracle Treat Day and other fundraising activities. The partnership supports kids in local communities who receive care through CMN hospitals.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery service provider used for DQ food delivery orders at participating locations. Delivery service and fees apply.
• UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery service provider used for DQ food delivery orders at participating locations. Delivery service and fees apply.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McDonald's: Largest global limited-service restaurant chain and the dominant QSR competitor to DQ's Grill & Chill format, with comparable burger-and-fries menu plus breakfast all-day and digital ordering via its MyMcDonald's Rewards program.
• Taco Bell: QSR competitor under Yum! Brands with similar value-tier $5-$7 meal-deal positioning and digital ordering capabilities targeting younger consumers.
• Wendy's: Direct QSR competitor known for burgers and the iconic Frosty frozen dessert — the closest analog to DQ's burger-plus-frozen-treat combination in the US market.
• Burger King: Global QSR chain directly competing with DQ's Stackburger line on flame-grilled burger value, with similar franchise-driven footprint and value-tier pricing strategy.
• Sonic Drive-In: Drive-in QSR chain with a particularly strong frozen-treat, shake, and blended beverage lineup — among the closest category overlaps with DQ's Blizzard, MooLatte, and shake portfolio.
• Chick-fil-A: Limited-service chicken-focused QSR with industry-leading sales per unit and digital loyalty adoption, competing for the same family/value-meal occasions as DQ.
• A&W Restaurants: Long-standing American QSR chain offering burgers, hot dogs, and root beer with a similar franchise-driven footprint and small-town presence comparable to the subject's Mexico, MO location.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Specialty frozen-dessert chain offering premium hand-mixed ice cream with mix-ins — most direct competitor to DQ's Blizzard Treat category, though without the QSR burger side of the menu.
• Carvel: Iconic American soft-serve and ice cream cake chain — directly comparable to DQ's soft-serve heritage, Dilly Bar concept, and celebration cake categories.
• Arby's: Limited-service sandwich and burger chain with similar franchise footprint, value meal promotions, and target demographic of families and younger consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dairy-queen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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