'A Dairy Queen family': Taftville DQ celebrates 55 years on Tuesday: Why you should come

With classic cars in the parking lot and 55 cent hot dogs, you might feel like you’ve gone back in time.

In recognition of 55 years in business, the Taftville Dairy Queen at 159 Norwich Ave. is celebrating from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday. Classic cars will be in the lot and discounted hot dogs will be paired with free ice cream cones.

WICH host Stu Breyer will broadcast live from the DQ, and his fans can meet him and each other, Carolyn Cellucci, owner of the Taftville Dairy Queen, said.

There will also be prizes and coupon giveaways, Manager Crystal Devost said.

A Dairy Queen family

Before there was a Dairy Queen, the property was in Cellucci’s family with a burger stand, and a soft serve stand called Dairy Cream. At the end of the lease, there was a fire. Cellucci and her now ex-husband went to her mother, who was the executor of the property, and said they wanted to open a business there, she said.

There were other soft-serve places in Norwich at that time, including the Dandy Dairy Bar. Cellucci trained at the Groton Dairy Queen. She wasn’t sure how well the business would do at first, but people welcomed it with open arms, she said.

“A national franchise makes the difference,” Cellucci said. “Dairy Queen is very supportive of the location all these years later.”

At one point, Cellucci also owned the other Dairy Queen in Norwich and a Dairy Queen in Pawcatuck. While the other Norwich Dairy Queen isn’t in the family anymore, Cellucci’s son David McBride took over the Taftville Dairy Queen. The Pawcatuck location is owned by the other son, Matthew McBride, and all three of Cellucci’s children, including daughter Shelley McBride, now own the Groton Dairy Queen, she said.

“We’re a Dairy Queen family,” Cellucci said.

The Taftville Dairy Queen proudly displays plaques from corporate for 40, 45, and 50 years in business. The store will get its 55th anniversary plaque in October, Devost said.

Stu Breyer fans

Tuesday’s event isn’t the first time Breyer has come to the Taftville Dairy Queen. He first broadcasted from the Dairy Queen in 2017. Cellucci has listened to Breyer since he started on WICH. The inspiration for the Breyer event came from a listener once saying they didn't know what a Dairy Queen Blizzard was, she said.

“They wanted to do something for customer appreciation, and of course, I love the Stu Breyer Show and I love Stu, so we worked with them,” Cellucci said.

Past events attracted the older people from the area, along with dignitaries, including Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom, along with Norwich and State Police Officers, she said.

“It was really wonderful,” Cellucci said.

Events in previous years have attracted hundreds to the Taftville Dairy Queen. People start lining up an hour before, and the parking lot is full the entire day. It’s a great way for Stu Breyer fans to meet, Devost said.

“Instead of just talking over a phone and you don’t know who the person is, they get to introduce themselves to each other,” she said.

Knowing your customers

Cellucci said she has always enjoyed the business. It helped her raise her family while working a job, and it paid for her children to go to college. Cellucci has also enjoyed working with the children and grandchildren of the people she grew up with in Taftville.

“It was wonderful knowing many of your customers,” Cellucci said.

One lifelong customer is Griswold resident Lori Daniels. Her family visits occasionally and she’s looking forward to stopping by on Tuesday, when she’ll pick up lunch on the way to work, she said.

“We enjoy everything about it,” Daniels said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Taftville Dairy Queen in Norwich CT marks 55 years with DJ Stu Breyer