dairy queenShippenville Dairy Queen Clarion County

dairy queen store

“We appreciate all the advice and encouragement of the SBDC” -Mary Livengood 

The owners of the local Dairy Queen Franchise finally saw over two years of planning become a reality! The business opened its doors on April 19th, 2010 after completing a major expansion and renovation project of their facilities over a four month period. The franchise was converted from a Dairy Queen Brazier to the new Grill & Chill theme. A 16-foot addition was added to the back of the existing building to provide additional work space for the employees plus a 15 foot addition to the front of the existing building to provide for an indoor lobby and eating area. The lobby area also has a display area for frozen cakes and ice cream treats. In addition, an outdoor patio was added in front with three tables.

The Clarion County Dairy Queen franchise is owned and operated by Mary Jo and Jack Livengood, Lisa Livengood, and Kim Carroll. According to Mary Livengood, You wouldn’t believe all the planning and time that goes into a major renovation project”. The owners have operated the franchise year-round and are glad to be able to finally provide an indoor area for patrons to get out of the cold weather during the winter months.

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Mary Livengood was referred to the Small Business Development Center in January 2009 by Brad Ehrhart, Director of the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation and coordinator of the project. Assistance to the Company was provided in the form of developing detailed financial projections of the project. This allowed the principals to determine the project feasibility and to qualify for low interest financing through the state. The Small Business Development Center Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP) provided an on-site energy efficiency assessment as well that helped them determine what equipment should be replaced. Financing for the project was provided by First United National Bank and the Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission in Oil City.

Due to the increased size of the facility and increased business volume, the owners have hired 12 additional full-time equivalent employees for a total of 26 employees to kick-off the summer.