One of the joys of the business was getting to know his customers. "It's not in dollars, it's because I serve smiles." "He used to say I'm the richest man in town," she added.
"They were after the long-term customers, not just the one driving through town," Thorsen said. Her parents set their prices low - the Dilly Bar originally sold for a dime and now sells for $1.25, tax included. "It was an all-consuming business," Thorsen said. Although he wasn't a big fan of soft-serve ice cream, every night he brought home a chocolate shake for Phyllis. to midnight seven days a week, eight months a year. He had served as a paratrooper in Japan and the Philippines during World War II.ĭuring his absence, Phyllis, who had a 1-year-old baby and was pregnant with another, reopened the fledgling business with four employees.īob worked at the store from 9 a.m. "I think it was tough in the early years."Īn early challenge came in 1950, months after the store opened, when Bob was called back to serve in the Army during the Korean War. "When he started that business, a lot of people told him it was just a fad and it would never last," Thorsen said.
"They looked at that and thought, well, there might be room for another one," said Teri Thorsen of Moorhead, one of the Litherlands' daughters.Īlthough the Moorhead Dairy Queen has become a downtown fixture, drawing from nearby college campuses, the Litherlands confronted skeptics in the early days, when fast food had not yet become so woven into the culture.
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