SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) —A family business handed down through the generations is once again going to new yet familiar hands.
For 67 years the Dairy Queen on Wolfe and Section Street has been the home to countless sweet treats for the people of Sullivan. However, for one family, this Dairy Queen represents the 51-year story of their family.
The Pirtle family has owned the Dairy Queen in Sullivan since 1974. It began with Bob and Nancy Scaer, who then passed it down to their daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Brian Pirtle. Now their son Riley is following in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents as he will be taking over the location.
“It’s an honor to be a third-generation owner. It’s something my grandparents started and my parents took on. It’s been a huge part of the community even before they bought it in ’74, it opened in ’58,” said Riley Pirtle.
Although it is a small town, Sullivan has several restaurants and gathering places, but the family says this Dairy Queen is a home away from home for thousands of employees and customers.
“As we let people know (we were taking over the business), we were showered with ‘I had this event there’ or ‘That was my first job’ or that’s where they went every Sunday… You know it was just something everybody did. If it was after school before golf practice, come over here and sit down and get ready to go. It was just a meeting place where everybody went,” said Riley.
“My first memory of the Dairy Queen was coming here after a little league ball game. You know the team came and got ice cream after a win, ” said Brian Pirtle, Riley’s dad and owner of the Dairy Queen from 2000-20025.
Never in a million years did Brian expect Riley to take over the family business.
“I didn’t know when I got into it, that it would be next generation. I never thought any of my kids wanted to do it and really, I didn’t push any of them towards it,” said Brian.
“If you would have asked me when I worked here in High School i never would have done it,” said Riley.
Now riley says this opportunity is a full circle moment 67 years in the making.
Since that first year in 1974, Riley’s grandparents, Bob and Nancy Scaer say they have watched the community around them grow as the years went on.
” It’s like everything else going on right now. everything has changed a lot… So, we have watched a lot of things change and it’s all been very interesting and good for the city,” said Nancy Scaer.
The family says this location doesn’t just tell the story of their family, but it also tells the story of the hundreds of workers they have employed over the years.
“A lot of employees we still see every day out on the street and they will say ‘You know, I remember when I worked for you’ and that’s just kind of special,” said Nancy Scaer.
As Riley embarks on the third chapter of the Sullivan Dairy Queen’s legacy, He says his main goal is to keep business as is.
“Dairy Queen very recently came out with a mission statement that was to create positive memories for all who tough DQ and this place has been doing it way before then,” said Riley.
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