Dairy Queen

[rlvaughn]

Awhile back Red Warren left here driving down to Waco on Highway 84. He hasn’t been away from the country much, and was mightily confused when he came to the town of Mexia. Wondering how in the world to pronounce it, he spotted a Dairy Queen, pulled in, and went inside. A lady approached and asked if she could help.

Red ordered a chocolate shake and then got down to the crux of his visit, “Can you tell how to pronounce the name of this place?”

“Sure,” she said, then speaking slowy, “it’s Daay-reee Quueeen.”

 

[Jerome]

Was it Anna Nicole Smith? She hailed from Mexia.

 

[rlvaughn]

That might make a good addition to the tale! I suppose some people still remember her.

 

[Alcott]

I read that joke years ago, but was in relation to some town in Arizona. Anyway, the Daaay-ree Queeen is where I have my 10 o' clock coffee most days, usually overhearing a couple of tables of octogenerians talk about Korea and their doctor appointments and old jobs and their churches.

 

[rlvaughn]

I read that joke years ago, but was in relation to some town in Arizona.

For whatever reason, Mexia has always been the town when I've heard the joke told here -- despite probably thousands of town names that might just as easily be mispronounced.

Anyway, the Daaay-ree Queeen is where I have my 10 o' clock coffee most days, usually overhearing a couple of tables of octogenerians talk about Korea and their doctor appointments and old jobs and their churches.

The talk sounds interesting. How's the coffee?

 

[Jerome]

Mexia mispronounced? How so?

 

[rlvaughn]

I have heard some say Mex-eee-uh. Don't think I've heard it mispronounced any other way, but I'm sure it has been.

 

[Jerome]

How is it supposed to be pronounced?

 

[rlvaughn]

Something like Muh-hay-uh, if you're from around there!

 

[Alcott]

The talk sounds interesting. How's the coffee?

Every time I'm asked that I say "It's good for the price." The price is one dollar for all you wish to sit in there and drink. And it is about as good coffee as any counter service place.

ed. The price is actually $1.02, making it $1.10 with tax. But there is a senior discount of 10%, meaning we can just toss a dollar bill up on the counter and grab a cup, as they are usually doing other things during that first hour or so.

 

[rlvaughn]

Our county seat has what is said to be the oldest Dairy Queen in Texas. It is not the first, but oldest in continuous operation. I've never had their coffee. If we go there it is in the afternoon and I don't normally drink coffee in the afternoon. The local Herschel's Restaurant is somewhat like a Dairy Queen, in my opinion, and I like their coffee, Douwe Egbert's. They have a practice that may not be unique, but I haven't run into elsewhere. The price of the coffee is the price of the temperature outside. So, if it is 32° outside, the coffee is 32¢, if it is 86°, the coffee is 86¢, and so on.

 

[Jerome]

The local Herschel's Restaurant...The price of the coffee is the price of the temperature outside. So, if it is 32° outside, the coffee is 32¢, if it is 86°, the coffee is 86¢, and so on.

Couldn't do that up North, they'd be paying us when it gets below 0°!

 

[rlvaughn]

Sounds like a great plan -- for the customer!!

 

[Alcott]

Our county seat has what is said to be the oldest Dairy Queen in Texas. It is not the first, but oldest in continuous operation. I've never had their coffee. If we go there it is in the afternoon and I don't normally drink coffee in the afternoon. The local Herschel's Restaurant is somewhat like a Dairy Queen, in my opinion, and I like their coffee, Douwe Egbert's. They have a practice that may not be unique, but I haven't run into elsewhere. The price of the coffee is the price of the temperature outside. So, if it is 32° outside, the coffee is 32¢, if it is 86°, the coffee is 86¢, and so on.

You must be talking about MtPleasant, TX. Believe it or not, Richard W is just a few feet away from me right now, conferring with a district manager.

 

[rlvaughn]

The son? Neat.

In my case, the closest one is in Henderson, Texas. I think they mostly go north from there, but there is also one in Palestine, which is slightly south and west from us.

 

[Alcott]

OK, I said MP because I knew they still had Herschels's and there's such a connection between there and here where I live. Our DQ used to be more Herschels than DQ because they used the same menu board and they didn't go by the advertised specials for many years. After a tragic event HW became less directly involved and it became more like the DQ's found elsewhere else in Texas.

 

[rlvaughn]

I was going to look and see how many Herschel's there are, but I can't get their website to come up. I got to thinking, that I really only know for sure there are three, but feel like there are a lot more than that. Alcott, do they have them where you are? (Guessing you seem to be speaking of one in post # 14.)

 

[Alcott]

I can't get the website to come up either, and it says the domain is expired and awaiting renewal But a map comes up on a google search and it shows 3-- Mt. Pleasant, Pittsburgh, and Henderson. And no, we don't have one here north of Dallas.

I don't know if anybody is interested, but here is a pic of the 1966 Impala one of those old guys sometimes drives, usually on Friday (it seems).

 

[rlvaughn]

Interesting. I see on that "find us" hit that it says they have 3 locations (Henderson, Mt. Pleasant, Pittsburg). I'll have to check next time I'm through Palestine to see if that one has closed. Another possibility may be the Richard no longer owns it but they still use the name?.