Dairy Queen provides soft serve, smiles, and community service
As of late 2024, the Hartford Dairy Queen is now one of only five branches nationwide that are certified DQ training locations – where managers and owners learn to run their own branches. Praised for their quality, customer service, community involvement, and more, the branch hopes to bring more economic growth and foster more relationships within the community. With their Golden West service, the Hartford DQ location uses an online tool called Dairy Queen Learning Link to train new owners and managers.
When Lonnie Heier was preparing to open a new Dairy Queen location a couple years ago, he and his family went all-in on the community of Hartford.
“The town was ready for a drive-thru option,” he says. “They’ve always embraced us from the beginning.”
Lonnie, his wife Jackie, and their two teenage sons moved from Pierre to make Hartford their new home. In addition, Dairy Queen (DQ) has invested in Hartford just as Lonnie’s six other stores support their respective communities. This includes stores in two more Golden West communities, Martin and Winner. Since Lonnie has been in business, he has made sure people know he is there for the community.
Compassion in the community
“We’ve really made it a mission to give back to our communities in any way possible,” he says. “It creates a bond with the community because they know they can always count on you to do the right thing and help out when it’s needed.”
Together, Lonnie and Dairy Queen have raised funds for many causes, including animal shelters, individuals fighting cancer, and families that have experienced other tragedies. Lonnie makes a difference where and whenever he can.
This past year, the Hartford DQ sponsored a high school basketball game, making admission free for students. A local manager also handed out coupons and gift cards as the cherry on top.
Retail roots
Lonnie has owned Dairy Queen locations for more than 18 years. But doing business in rural communities may be in his veins.
“I’ve been in retail my whole life,” he explains. “My parents owned the Ben Franklin store in Lemmon, and it was in our family for 65 years. Retail has kind of been in my blood.”
While his home is in Hartford, sometimes Lonnie’s office is his pickup. He often travels to his other six locations to help when needed.
Smooth service
He relies on his Golden West connection both when he’s onsite and at another location. Business consistently thrives with everything from Zoom calls with managers to camera systems inside stores.
“People don’t know this, but, you know, we can’t operate without the internet. I mean, if the internet goes down, we’re essentially out of business,” he says. “The speed and reliability have just been there; those are the two main factors in our stores that we just can’t live without.”
When Lonnie uses Golden West services at Dairy Queen, he says “it takes one more thing off our plate.”
And when everything is running smoothly, Lonnie has time to coach middle and high school basketball. Whether his sons are on the court or not, Lonnie takes time to show that Hartford is his home in all facets of his life.
Watch the YouTube video on Dairy Queen here.
