CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Dairy Queen story continues to unfold in Cedar Rapids, with one DQ earning its place as a local historic landmark and the other ready to turn the page on a new chapter.
On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously approved the second and third readings to designate Dairy Queen #4 at 501 16th St. NE as a local historic landmark.
That Dairy Queen, in the Mound View Neighborhood, reopened for the season earlier this year.
A local landmark is an individual building designated by city ordinance as being historically significant.
Related: History cited in Dairy Queen local landmark application
A telephone booth at the 16th Street NE Dairy Queen is seen in April 2026. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Built in 1954, the 16th Street Dairy Queen celebrated 70 years in business last year.
According to its application, the design of the walk-up, treats-only Dairy Queen reflects a rare surviving example of mid-20th Century commercial roadside architecture along a well-traveled thoroughfare.
The oldest Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids and the only other surviving walk-up, treats-only DQ in the city will soon become Dottie’s Ice Cream & Soda.
Located at 3304 First Ave. NE, the former Dairy Queen #1 is under new ownership after the previous owner, Jill Muckler, died in August 2025.
The new name of the former First Avenue Dairy Queen honors one of its original owners.
The First Avenue Dairy Queen, seen in April 2026, will soon change its name. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Opened in 1947 by Jill Muckler’s grandparents, Gene and Dorothy Herrington, their daughter, Sally Stendel, and her husband Stephen, were the next to operate the site.
Since then, the Dairy Queen franchise moved to its DQ Grill & Chill franchise model — enclosed buildings that offer a wider range of food, such as chicken strips and burgers — rather than the original walk-up, treats-only versions.
While it will no longer be a Dairy Queen, the name, Dottie’s, recognizes Dorothy Herrington and the family’s legacy, according to the new owners, with a target opening date in May 2026.
Meanwhile, the 16th Street Dairy Queen remains open and even added a throwback payphone booth. While the phone is nonfunctional, the booth hearkens back to an earlier time in the neighborhood.
Read more: Tale of two Dairy Queens
Thank you for explaining that phone booth. I was really surprised when I spotted it a couple of days ago!
While you can’t make a call from there, it’s a great piece of nostalgia!
We lived across the street from the first avenue DQ and knew Gene real well. He was a great guy and always treated us little kids as big costumers.
Sounds like a wonderful person!
So many positives wrapped up in these two stores…My hubs remembers biking to 16st with neighborhood kids: they had a water fountain so kids could get a drink after ice cream! Also pre-bedtime treats with the fam at 1stAve, kids in PJ’s. Our kids did the same in the 1980’s.. We have not been in CR for some time; the town is Nostalgia Central! Happy these buildings have not been torn down…
Thank you for sharing your memories, Marilyn!