Three of Alaska’s four remaining Dairy Queens shut this week in Anchorage, Wasilla and Palmer, with the chain saying only that the franchise owner recently closed them.
Tuesday’s closures came without a public explanation, and even Greg Todd—the former owner who sold five Alaska stores in 2017—said he does not know why they were shut.
Soldotna’s Dairy Queen, locally owned for more than 40 years, stayed open; owner Pete Ischi said corporate had asked about buying the three stores, but his family declined because distance made them hard to operate.
Alaska’s high freight and supply costs can make the business difficult, Ischi said, even as Dairy Queen globally has more than 7,800 locations in over 20 countries and says it is seeking new franchise owners in Alaska.