Dairy Queen returning to downtown Wheaton

Blizzards are headed to Wheaton, but this kind of frozen concoction would melt by the time it takes you to finish reading this story.

In their wake, these blizzards will have you plowing through Oreo crumbles and cookie dough and hot fudge.

By now, you probably know we're talking about Dairy Queen's signature Blizzards. But here's the sweetest part of the forecast: Dairy Queen is returning to downtown Wheaton after a too-long hiatus.

The soft-serve chain is set to reopen in its old location south of the train tracks at Main Street and Liberty Drive.

A new owner has bought the high-profile property and plans to open another DQ in the single-story, red-roofed building, preserving a piece of Wheaton nostalgia and a summer gathering place within walking distance of the Wheaton French market.

The man behind the chain's second life downtown also owns a Dairy Queen in Westmont just north of Ogden and Cass Avenues, said Jim Kozik, Wheaton's economic development director.

The new owner holds a building permit to do some interior remodeling of the 724-square-foot, drive-through building.

"I think he wants to open as soon as possible so he doesn't miss the entire season," Kozik said Monday.

The owner also has indicated to city planners that he intends to make "more substantial" renovations to the exterior to enhance its appearance next year or later, Kozik said. But his focus now is to complete the interior and equipment improvements to begin serving customers, Kozik said.

The old Dairy Queen closed every year for the winter season, but drew long lines in the summer, even though the menu for years never offered chocolate soft-serve in a cone, unlike its counterpart in Lombard.