Dairy Queen is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast-food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Dairy Queen® (DQ®) franchisees, employees and crew members have been focused on creating positive memories for all who touch DQ®, for over 75 years. The first Dairy Queen restaurant was located in Joliet, Illinois. It was operated by Sherb Noble and opened for business on June 22, 1940.