Location

Project Details

Special Features

Soon after our client’s return home from WWII, he became a DQ franchisee and operated the business in its original location for 40+ years. In 2005 his lease was expiring, and he sought to purchase an abandoned gas station property across the street from his original location. Upon purchase of the property and in process of city approvals, zoning required the existing gas station canopy to remain in place to maintain a “grandfathered” status for meeting parking requirements.

The size of the site and location of the existing canopy dictated the placement of the new building and its parking layout. Dairy Queen’s design approach for this project sought to capture the mid-century charm of the 1950s. The exterior design balanced a nostalgic aesthetic with compliance of modern zoning and building code requirements. To complement DQ’s choice of building style, Arcwerks chose to wrap the existing canopy columns with a flared profile, reflecting the period design.

Following Dairy Queen’s color standards, a red, white, and blue scheme was used to enhance the vintage appeal. Being an opportunity for adaptive reuse, the result was a revitalized ice cream shop that blended history with function, impressing the client with Arcwerks' oversight and regulatory compliance.

"The eye-catching design combining the vintage style of the canopy and wrapping the columns, in keeping with DQ's corporate brand guidelines, created an instant landmark." 

• Manny Rodriguez, Project Manager, Arcwerks