DQ building back on the block

THE FUTURE OF THE FORMER DAIRY QUEEN building once again is anyone’s guess, as it is for sale for the second time since the DQ closed four years ago. Photo / Per Peterson

From the iconic slanted red roof, to a blue one signaling what appeared to be the sign of a new beginning, there have been numerous changes to the former Dairy Queen building on the highway.

The next change is anyone’s guess, as a new “for sale” sign has been added to the landscape of the building.

The former Dairy Queen building closed in January 2018, and about a year-and-a-half later was purchased from the Tracy Development Corporation by Chasing Our Tails co-founder Steve Trachtenberg, who had already set up a production facility on 4th St. for his dog treat business.

Trachtenberg’s plan for the building was to turn it into a fresh-concept restaurant, serving hot meals and fresh-baked breads, as well as ice cream and coffees.

Eventually, the red symbolic of Dairy Queen was replaced by blue to signify the start of a new business known as 1412 Market Cafe. However, last week three Edina Realty signs were posted, essentially signaling the official end of 1412.

When asked about the building by the Tracy Area Headlight Herald on Monday, Trachtenberg said only that the building is for sale.

The inside of the building has undergone extensive repair and remodeling, and there are a number of pieces of large equipment inside.

The Dairy Queen opened on Oct. 16, 1969 and was built for about $70,000; as of 2018, it was one of 237 DQ locations statewide. It closed on Jan. 7, 2018, the result of what was said to be overtaxation and “unrealistic demands from corporate,” according to the owner at the time.