Overview
- More than 40 Dairy Queen franchise locations have closed over the past two years, with the largest cluster occurring in Texas after a compliance dispute with operator Project Lonestar.
- Dairy Queen’s U.S. parent revoked Project Lonestar’s franchise rights in early 2025, which stopped those locations from ordering official inventory and led to the immediate shutdown of about 42 Texas restaurants.
- This week a single franchisee closed three Alaska stores in Anchorage, Wasilla and Palmer, leaving the state with one remaining location in Soldotna according to local reporting.
- Individual owners cite practical pressures such as high freight and transport costs in Alaska and decisions to convert long‑running units to other concepts, a move that reduces local jobs and neighborhood dining options.
- Despite the closures, Dairy Queen says it still operates roughly 7,800 locations worldwide and announced plans to open 20 DQ Grill & Chill restaurants in Puerto Rico as part of targeted growth efforts.