The ice-cream chain founded in 1940 by John Fremont McCullough and his son Alex was Dairy Queen.
Dairy Queen traces its origins to a soft-serve formula developed by John Fremont McCullough and his son Alex. The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet, Illinois, in 1940. The business helped popularize soft-serve ice cream through a quick-service restaurant model.
The company became known for products including soft-serve cones, sundaes, Dilly Bars, and the Blizzard. Its signature soft serve is served at a lower temperature and with a different texture from many packaged ice creams.
Dairy Queen is often called DQ in branding and everyday speech. Although it is strongly associated with ice cream, its restaurants also sell burgers, fries, chicken, and other fast-food items. The company expanded internationally after its early American success.