CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two of the last original walk-up Dairy Queens in Cedar Rapids are taking divergent paths.
One, at 3304 First Ave. NE, has closed and will not reopen after owner Jill Muckler died last year. She had been the third-generation owner of the popular spot, where customers of all ages — sometimes with their dogs — would line up outside to buy the soft-serve treats, particularly on hot days.
A separately owned Dairy Queen, at 501 16th St. NE, was unanimously approved during the city’s Historic Preservation Commission meeting on Feb. 12, 2026, to move forward in its quest to become a local historic landmark.
The application next goes to the City Planning Commission before moving on to the City Council.
That Dairy Queen — #4 — in the Mound View Neighborhood, will reopen for the season around Feb. 21, owner Karla Sibert said.
A local landmark is an individual building designated by city ordinance as being historically significant.
Related: History cited in Dairy Queen local landmark application
The 16th Street NE Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids will reopen for the season around Feb. 21, 2026. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Dairy Queen #1 on First Avenue, which did not reopen after closing last year, was the first DQ in Linn County, and was 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 that site. The Stendels’ daughter, Jill Muckler, died August 20, 2025, at age 56.
With more than 7,800 locations in over 20 countries, Dairy Queen first launched in 1938 in Kankakee, Illinois. According to its website, the company has 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 we recognize the importance of preserving tradition, we also understand that a lot has changed since we sold our first treat so many years ago,” the website states. “The DQ Grill & Chill® concept is our flagship concept that was announced in 2002, and it has been booming ever since.”
A walk-up counter at the First Avenue Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids is seen Feb. 12, 2026. The site could possibly reopen as a different ice cream shop. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Although it will not reopen as a Dairy Queen, family members said a different ice cream shop might open at the First Avenue site.
Just four Dairy Queens are now located in Cedar Rapids, with the 16th Street site the only walk-up, treats-only DQ. Another popular Dairy Queen, on Wilson Avenue SW, sustained a fire several years ago and has since reopened as a different restaurant.
Cedar Rapids currently has nine local landmarks, with the Zastera Pharmacy building, at 1135-1137 Ellis Blvd. NW, and Arthur Elementary School, 2630 B Ave. NE, added last year.
The Zastera Pharmacy building was designated a local historic landmark in Cedar Rapids in 2025. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The nonprofit Save CR Heritage is reviving the Zastera building to serve as a storefront and neighborhood hub, while the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy has repurposed Arthur, which closed as a neighborhood school in 2024.
Other local landmarks include the Ausadie Building (845 First Ave. SE), Iowa Wind Mill and Pump Company Office and Warehouse (42 Seventh Ave. SW), Cedar Rapids Milk Condensing Company (525 Valor Way SW), Grace Episcopal Church (525 A Ave. NE), the Perkins House (1228 Third Ave. SE), the Witwer Grocery Company Building (905 Third St. SE), and the Central Park Presbyterian Church (1700 B Ave. NE).
Any exterior changes to local landmarks are subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, while the designation protects the buildings from future demolition.
Built in 1954, the 16th Street Dairy Queen in the Mound View Neighborhood celebrated 70 years in business last year.
Sibert, who has operated the business for more than eight years, is just the third owner of that Dairy Queen.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “My Dairy Queen is going to be there.”
More: See photos of the Dairy Queen’s 70th anniversary celebration
No Comments Yet