Success Story: Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen – Garrison, 2019

GARRISON, ND – David Jeffrey worked for the railroad for many years before returning to Garrison to purchase his parents’ shares in two local businesses. The Garrison Motel had been around for several years and had been owned by David’s parents since 2010. They had been working on plans for and were in the process of building the North Shore Inn and Suites around the time that David and his wife purchased their interests in the two businesses.

After some years of operating the two lodging businesses, David recognized another need in the community and set out to open a Dairy Queen franchise in town.

Challenge/Solution
“I first heard about the SBDC through my dad,” said David. “He used their services when he first put his proposal together to buy the hotel years ago.”

Mary Beth, Minot Center Director, began working with the Jeffrey family in 2009. Having worked first with Dennis and then later with David on the hotel projects, seeking her assistance again was a natural move when it was time to start the planning for a business in an industry new to him.

Opening a franchise was key for David, knowing the national support provided on a local level as well as allowing consumers from Garrison and surrounding communities a dining option that offered quality, consistency, and a fair price. A Dairy Queen was the right fit for him.

“Even though I had used the SBDC some in the past, I wasn’t fully up to speed on what they could do for me. Mary Beth and her team helped me put together my proposal, and I was so impressed,” said David. “The knowledge that they have for a small business owner is by far the best I’ve encountered.”
“The team that I dealt with helped make it easy for me to understand what I was doing. They taught me many things along the way, as far as my business plan and how to present it. And the resources at their disposal – the average business person just can’t find that information.”

The Minot SBDC Center specifically helped with business plan development and financial projections for the DQ project, including working directly with BNC Bank on some of the specific details they needed when reviewing the financing package.

Impact
As with many in our part of the country, David credits the work ethic instilled in him by his parents at a young age to his success. That drive to work hard has stayed with him into adulthood, and he says it will until the day he retires.

“I thought working for the railroad was hard,” said David, “but at the end of the day, business ownership is even tougher. You have to be willing to put in the effort and be married to it. You need to look at the bigger picture and what is on the horizon to ensure your business stays profitable.”

“We support the community of Garrison through employment and tax dollars, and we see that come back to us on a daily basis. But if you aren’t doing what you can to make sure the business keeps making money, sooner or later the dollars stop rolling in and that’s not good business for anyone.”

The Dairy Queen in Garrison officially opened for business in May of 2016. The work ethic of the Jeffrey family, the support of a national franchise, and assistance from the SBDC along the way have helped them on the path to success.

“The wealth of knowledge that an SBDC can provide is pivotal in succeeding as a small business owner. They are definitely the people to turn to. Overall, working with the ND SBDC has been an awesome experience.”