Anita Campbell
County Reporter
Warsaw residents turned out in full force as the new Dairy Queen opened its doors on June 26. Traffic was backed up down the street as customers waited in line to enjoy the delightful treats that DQ is so famous for. Owners Jorge Guevara and his wife Meagan were on hand to welcome everyone to their location at 103 Progress Drive in Warsaw.
“We had many people asking us to look at Warsaw as a possibility for our next Dairy Queen,” reported Jorge Guevara. “We have a Dairy Queen in Sedalia and we were looking for the right spot for our next venture.”
Guevara did a great deal of research before making his decision to come to Warsaw. He was impressed with the tourist trade from people visiting Truman Lake.
“We spoke to business owners in the community as well as taking a traffic count,” said Guevara.
The Guevara family also owns and operates the Dairy Queen in Sedalia as well as operating all the concessions at the grandstand at the Missouri State Fair.
Jorge Guevara first came to Sedalia as an exchange student from Venezuela at Sacred Heart High School. He met his wife Meagan in Sedalia.
Guesa, the family company, also owns and operates Urgent Care in Sedalia, Primrose Schools in Jacksonville, Florida and grows and exports beans and sesame seeds internationally from Venezuela.
“No one person is the boss in our company,” said Jorge Guevara. “I have worked every job that we have. Our employees are very important to us and there is no one person more important than the other.”
Dairy Queen will be employing teenagers at the Warsaw location but Guevara noted that all employees 14 to 16 wear red hats and when their work time is up there is a signal that all red hats are finished for the shift.
Employees who are 14 to 16 can only work four hours a day during the school year and eight hours a day during the summer. They also can only work until 7 PM during the school year and 9 PM during the summer.
Dairy Queen employees receive full benefits: health, dental, vision and life insurance. Employees can also benefit from profit sharing and a 401K company matching benefit.
The Guesa company is also very community oriented and wants to support local groups such as sports teams, clubs and other organizations.
“We would like to hear from leaders of different organizations to help them with their programs,” said Guevara.
This is not the first Dairy Queen franchise to come to Warsaw. A group of Sedalia businessmen built a Dairy Queen back in the ‘90s next to the Phillips 66 station on Missouri Highway 7. After the Dairy Queen closed, a McDonald’s was located there until a new building for McDonald’s was erected across from Hawthorn Bank. The building now houses the WARM House.
Before that Dairy Queen, Ann and Irv Henry operated a Dairy Queen franchise for many years in the 60’s near White Branch café on Old U.S. 65.
“Dairy Queen was a favorite place for teenagers when we were in high school,” said former coach Bob Campbell. “We are glad to see DQ back in town.”
DQ restaurants are independently owned and operated franchised locations that have served customers for over 70 years. The independent franchise operators of DQ restaurants and their employees, together with American Dairy Queen Corporation strive to provide customers wit the best products and service possible.
Call (660) 223-0044 to learn about job opportunities with DQ.
