Fire sparks new beginning

Published 12:25 am Friday, November 3, 2006

A fire Wednesday afternoon has forced Dairy Queen owners David and Denise Johnson to begin renovations at the 30-year-old building sooner than expected.

The fire started about 1:30 p.m. The grill hood was destroyed and the building sustained minor damage in the kitchen area.

“The hood extinguished the fire, as it is designed to do, but it has to be replaced,” said Denise Johnson. She and her husband own Dairy Queen franchises in Meridian and Jackson.

“The hood is custom-made to fit the roof in the kitchen area of the restaurant. We have to wait until it can be rebuilt.”

No one was hurt during the fire. Johnson said employees responded to the incident properly and contacted emergency officials.

DQ is expected to re-open within three weeks, but with some noticeable changes.

“We had planned to upgrade the restaurant between Christmas and the beginning of the year, but after the fire we were forced to begin renovations earlier,” Johnson said.

The new DQ will become a “Grill and Chill” when it opens, hopefully around Thanksgiving. The couple’s Jackson restaurant on Lakeland Drive opened in July under the Grill and Chill name.

“The new title is a part of the new ownership of the entire DQ franchise and the change from ‘fast food’ to a ‘quick service’ restaurant,” Johnson said. “The new menus include grilled sandwiches and quesadillas, as well as the original favorites.”

Plans are also in the works for another DQ Grill and Chill restaurant in the Meridian area. The Johnsons have approval from DQ to add another location near the Wal-Mart Supercenter under construction on Highway 19 North. There is no firm date for the opening.

Johnson says they have very loyal customers and hope they will return after the renovations and repairs at the Highway 39 North location.