'It’s sad, it’s totally sad': After 55 years, Dairy Queen in South Milwaukee has closed

The South Milwaukee Dairy Queen, a popular hangout spot for about 55 years, is closing its doors.

The official last day was Mother's Day, May 12.

Residents shared their memories and sadness with some saying they broke out in tears when they heard the chilling news.

Alan Dey, an 11-year-old South Milwaukee resident lives only a few blocks away and walked to Dairy Queen, 1301 N. Chicago Ave., at least once a week since he was eight to get a treat.

His mother, Charlotte, said since the announcement of the closing there have been tears and sadness almost every day. It was her son’s plan one day to work at Dairy Queen as his first job.

“This past week, my son has wanted to go to Dairy Queen every day,” Charlotte Dey said.

During one recent visit, Alan broke down crying in the store. Owner Kathy Hartley-Lorisch let him come behind the counter and helped him to make his own ice cream cone.

“What an awesome act of kindness and empathy,” Charlotte Dey said.

Why is the location closing? Hartley-Lorisch said, “it’s time.”

“I’ve reached the potential for this location,” she said. “It’s sad, it’s totally sad.”

Dairy Queen is looking to update locations and Hartley-Lorisch said she would need to invest over $100,000 into the location. However, she said even if she did, she didn’t think it would make a big difference and she likely wouldn’t see a return on the investment.

Due to the location, it would be impossible to install a useful drive-thru, for example. A few internal upgrades, such as a cash register allowing for cell phone payments, were also mentioned.

Some customers have suggested a GoFundMe, however, she said there are much more worthy causes out there and she wouldn’t feel right taking money from those.

“It would be saving a memory,” she said.

A popular place

A former gas station, Hartley-Lorisch’s father took ownership of the South Milwaukee Dairy Queen in 1977, which she said was his dream. She said the location did have a growing period in its early days, but her father worked to treat everyone, even the kids, like adults. She said it’s this approach that helped make it so popular.

The location was a hot spot for many growing up. Resident Carlee Rae Oswald said it was her go-to place as a child and she was able to get her first job there at 16, working there for over two years.

“A huge thanks to the great people that run this business for treating me like a part of their family and giving me much-needed guidance during my teenage years, in and outside of the workplace,” she said. “I can't say enough about how great of an experience it was to work here with such amazing coworkers.”

Oswald said the owner and employees helped shape her into who she is today.

“It’s unfortunate to see that they will no longer be open, but luckily the memories made here will last forever,” she said.

Second-guessing

While there have been times she questioned her decision, Hartley-Lorisch doesn’t believe her father would’ve wanted her to invest that much money into the location. Additionally, she said Dairy Queen wasn’t pressuring her to keep it but instead let her make the decision.

“They let me come to my own senses,” she said. “They didn’t strongarm me.”

She said she holds no ill-will toward Dairy Queen and agrees with the need for the brand to modernize in order to stay competitive.

While the final decision was made last month, Hartley-Lorisch said she’d been considering it for about a year. In March 2018 her mother, the owner, died. Since it happened right before peak season, Hartley-Lorisch kept the location open in summer but closed over winter.

Closing for good just before the busiest time of year has been questioned by some residents, and Hartley-Lorisch said she would have stayed open over summer if she could. However, Dairy Queen was requesting that she begin the paperwork to take ownership for the location out of her mother’s name and into hers.

Additionally, she said Dairy Queen wouldn’t let just anyone else take over, it had to be someone in the family.

Hartley-Lorisch has been starting her day early and making ice cream at 6 a.m. to keep up with the recent demand following the closing announcement. She said the reaction has been “a lot of devastation” and she has been handing out a number of “I love DQ” buttons.

“I have nothing but fond memories and a love for the community,” she said.

Adventures past and present

While the location has impacted many personally, it has also helped people sweeten the lives of others. Joshua Freimark recalled a time when he and his sister wanted to surprise his single mother who he said worked without much of a break.

“As a young kid livening across from Rawson grade school me and my little sister searched the house and under cushions, for all the change we could find,” he recalled.

The duo headed to Dairy Queen to pick up their mother’s favorite cone. He said they thought they were smart walking in shadows and spinning in circles to keep the cone cold.

“When we delivered her treat the concern she had about us about venturing out of the backyard was replaced by appreciation and laughter,” Freimark said. “Thank you South Milwaukee Dairy Queen for being the site of my sisters and my first big adventure.”

The next big adventure for the location remains unknown, but Hartley-Lorisch said she hopes the community fights for and supports whatever and whoever goes in there.

The St. Francis Dairy Queen location, 3040 E. Layton Ave., is owned by Hartley-Lorisch’s brother and his wife. She said she wasn’t planning to work there but instead would be taking some time off over summer and looking for employment in the fall.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at (262) 875-9467 or erik.hanley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.