Oldest Dairy Queen in NC sold for $1.1M. But after 78 years, the scoops will go on
After more than 50 years of serving ice cream cones, milkshakes and Blizzards at the famous west Charlotte Dairy Queen on Wilkinson Boulevard, Lacy and Blenda Walters are hanging up their scoops.
The couple sold the property to Khan & Singh Property Management LLC for $1.1 million in April, according to Mecklenburg County property records. But don’t worry, the ice cream is not going anywhere. The Walters made sure the 78-year-old building at 2732 Wilkinson Blvd. will stay put in North Carolina’s oldest Dairy Queen.
“I hear it every day,” Lacy said about people not wanting to lose the oldest DQ in North Carolina. In fact, the Walters took an offer that was $100,000 less than another offer to keep it around as a Dairy Queen.
“Another company wanted the property and was offering us more money,” he said. “But we felt like the community had been very good to us over the years and we owed it to them.”
Tariq Khan, owner of Charlotte-based Khan & Singh Property Management is planning to keep the Walters’ promise to keep the site operating as a Dairy Queen, with a few renovations.
Charlotte Business Journal had reported about the sale Thursday.
About the West Charlotte Dairy Queen site
The half-acre commercial site was listed for sale in 2022, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Preston Aaron and his wife Irene opened it in 1947. They were considered pioneers in bringing the franchise to the city.
A few years ago, there was interest in keeping the site as a quick-serve restaurant rather than redeveloping the property.
Meanwhile, it was another Charlotte Dairy Queen that gained interest from developers. In 2019, the Plaza Midwood Dairy Queen closed after opening in the 1950s. The building on Central Avenue was remodeled for Milkbread, a restaurant with sandwiches, salads and treats.
But ice cream treats will remain on Wilkinson Boulevard for now. This news is sure to keep customers smiling.
“This community has been very good to this Dairy Queen over the years,” Lacy said. “We certainly haven’t got rich, but I can tell you one thing — it’s been very good to us and we’ve enjoyed being here.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 6:06 AM.
