Star Tribune
One of Minnesota’s oldest Dairy Queens is up for sale
What may quite possibly be Minnesota’s oldest Dairy Queen is up for sale. The Spratte family of Rochester has owned and operated the store for more than 70 years. It is now on the market for $1.4 million.
Robert Beeman, the real estate salesperson who listed the property, said the soft-serve outpost’s historic location has attracted several potential buyers.
“The length and history with this one is special,” he said. “And with such an iconic brand added on top of that — I mean, you never see anyone unhappy eating ice cream.”
Tim Spratte’s grandfather LeRoy opened the store on June 20, 1947. That same year, another Dairy Queen opened 85 miles away in Roseville. That has led to some debate over which DQ is the oldest in the state.
Unlike modern stores that tout “grill and chill” offerings and feature burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries on the menu, the historic Rochester and Roseville kiosks take up a fraction of the space on their respective properties. And they specialize in cold treats — no hot stuff.
Tim Spratte bought the Rochester kiosk, located in the Lowertown neighborhood about three blocks north of the Mayo Clinic, from his father in 1996. He worked there for years as a boy, starting when he was 8.
When the city held Fourth of July fireworks shows on Silver Lake, Spratte told Realty Growth Inc. it was his “favorite night of the year.”
He decided to retire and sell the store after running the store for nearly 30 years. Beeman said it’s rare for any business to stay in the family for more than one generation, let alone three.
“Lots of locals are familiar with this family and familiar with this franchise because of how long it’s been in the community,” he said.
The Dairy Queen sits on a sizable lot next to a burgeoning neighborhood with new housing development. Beeman said any new owner will have wide latitude to do what they please with the property — maybe even bring in a food truck to complement the historic Dilly Bar outpost that’s already there.
“The imagination can go wild as to what can happen with this site in the future,” Beeman said.
LAFAYETTE, Wis. — About 25 children and adults were injured Wednesday when a wagon carrying them overturned at a western Wisconsin apple orchard.
The children, parents and chaperones were on a field trip to the orchard in Lafayette when one of two wagons being pulled by a tractor turned sideways and rolled over, Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes told reporters. Hakes said the tractor was traveling at a low speed when the wagon rolled over while going downhill.
Three people suffered critical injuries, while injuries to five others were considered serious. Authorities didn’t say how many of the injured were children.
The elementary school-age children attend a school in Eau Claire. Lafayette is northeast of Eau Claire.
After about five minutes and several warnings that students participating in the protest would be suspended,, the protesters exited Northrop and Cunningham continued her speech. They later gathered outside on the mall afterwards to shout, “Cunningham, you will see, Palestine will be free.”
Cunningham recounted the story of Norman Borlaug, the U alumnus and agronomist whose research in wheat saved millions from starvation, and said she would prioritize keeping a college education affordable for students.
Cunningham actually took over presidential duties on July 1, replacing Interim President Jeff Ettinger. She oversees a budget of more than $4 billion to run the university’s five campuses, which enrolled more than 68,000 students and employed 27,000 people during the last academic year.
She was chosen for the job last winter over two other candidates: Laura Bloomberg, president of Cleveland State University and former dean of the U’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and James Holloway, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico. She is the U’s second woman president, following Joan Gabel who held the office from 2019 to 2023.
Cunningham will be paid more than $1 million per year — about $975,000 in base pay and an additional $120,000 in retirement contributions. The compensation puts her in the top quarter of Big Ten university presidents.
Sgt. Gordon Blackey, once a security guard to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, allegedly admitted to tracking the woman’s movements in her vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.
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