OUTLOOK - Outlook will soon become home to The Blizzard.
That is, the kind of blizzard that you eat with a spoon on a hot summer day.
The town is set to welcome a Dairy Queen franchise to the community, offering up another restaurant offering in the Irrigation Capital of Saskatchewan, courtesy of Riverbend Co-op, which will own and operate the location.
The DQ Grill and Chill is being planned as a 2,273-sq. foot facility with 40 available seats inside, as well as patio seating. It will be located on the east side of town on Saskatchewan Road, situated between the Co-op cardlock and New Way Irrigation.
Upon completion, it's expected that the restaurant will create up to 20 jobs. Construction of the Dairy Queen has a target start date of this coming fall, with a grand opening being earmarked for April 2023.
Riverbend Co-op General Manager Greg Sarvis was excited to unveil the news to the community, and says it will add to Outlook's restaurant offerings.
"I'm pretty darn excited," said Greg. "It's definitely a piece that we as a community have been longing for as another option at which to join friends and family. There are already lots of great choices, but I certainly think this will add to our community."
Longtime residents of Outlook and area may remember a time when A&W was looking to set up shop in the community, which also would've been a partnership with the Co-op. Sarvis says that Riverbend had been seriously looking for the past year, and they struck when the offering felt right.
"We'd been looking for probably the last year or so," he said. "Legend has it that when the C-store was constructed, there was talk of maybe an A&W coming into the mix, but certainly it's been something that's been thought of over time. We see an opportunity to bring this to Outlook, and right now's the perfect time."
Sarvis says they went with Dairy Queen because of its menu variety, and says it fits into what the community may be looking for.
"We like Dairy Queen because of its fast menu offering," he said. "You've got the hot eats with a great complement of quality food with burgers and fries, and then the cool treat side with the ice cream, Blizzards and Orange Julius side of it. It gives quite a variety in a single restaurant offering, and we felt that was the best fit for the community."
As owners, Riverbend will soon be on the lookout for Dairy Queen's team to bring the franchise to life. Sarvis says the partnership between the Co-op and the iconic restaurant is one that will help both sides to prosper once the doors open on the new location.
"Right now, we own the franchise in Outlook for Dairy Queen," he explained. "Dairy Queen provides all the support in that to get us on the right path, and in time, one of our jobs is going to be to put together the leadership team for the location, which will present some opportunities for some folks to get involved. We already have a team that can support the backend of the business, like we do at our other locations throughout Central Saskatchewan."
With the jobs that the restaurant is expected to create, along with its offerings, Sarvis says he expects to see Outlook's Dairy Queen become a location that will play a part in creating everyday memories for people.
"We're going to create 20 jobs out of this," he said. "We're looking for folks who are team players who want to work in a fun environment. Basically, you're going to be part of creating memories and traditions for folks enjoying a meal. Maybe it's a sporting event or a family gathering, but it's going to play a big part in peoples' lives."
