Dairy Queen Closes 46 Locations -- Here's What's Really Going On

Dairy Queen is closing at least 46 locations across the United States since early 2025, with Alaska among the most affected areas. The chain, owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 1997, said the closures are continuing into summer, and Alaska’s last store in Soldotna has become the final remaining option in the state. On June 30, a franchisee abruptly shut three Dairy Queen locations in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer without providing an explanation; a corporate official confirmed the closures to the Anchorage Daily News without naming the owner or giving a reason. Soldotna is left with one store for Blizzards, with owner Pete Ischi saying corporate approached him about buying nearby shuttered locations but they were too far away. A larger driver is a franchise dispute in Texas: Project Lonestar shut 30 locations in February 2025, then 12 more in March after corporate pulled franchise agreements due to a failure to remodel, and later filed a $4 million lawsuit. Analysts link closures to broader franchise pressure as away-from-home food prices rose 3.5% over the 12 months ending May 2026.