Long Island Dairy Queen Celebrates Decade Of Serving Community

MASSAPEQUA, NY — If a blizzard means more to you than a wintertime shoveling ordeal, this is definitely for you!

The Dairy Queen on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa is marking its 10th anniversary by serving Blizzards and burgers.

"We actually never did an official ribbon cutting when we opened. We did a one-year because we were so crazy busy," owner Laura Maier told Patch. "It was nice to have a 10-year anniversary ribbon cutting."

Maier owns four Dairy Queen restaurants, including one in Levittown, and three Jersey Mike's Subs. She is also a Town of Oyster Bay councilwoman.

In either vocation, Maier enjoys being part of the community. One couple, regulars at the Massapequa Dairy Queen for nine years, several times a week, got their own distinction.

"They sit at the exact same table every time," she said. "They know every employee in the restaurant. We got a plaque with their names on it and put it on the table."

She relishes (no pun intended) those moments.

"Being ingrained in the community, having this restaurant allows me to give back," Maier said.

That means sharing some Dairy Queen menu favorites for school fundraisers and other nonprofit organizations.

On a national level, Dairy Queen partners with the Children's Miracle Network, with the Massapequa location donating to Cohen Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park.

Her son recently finished cancer treatments at Cohen.

"It came full circle to me to see where we give our money and how that money is allocated and used," she said.

Maier is also making a difference by hiring several teenagers, many for their first jobs. Some of them would leave for school or other employment, but remember her with thank you.

"It's just really neat to be part of their lives," she said. "It's never something that I expected. It's a wonderful feeling."

Maier's ties to Dairy Queen go back to growing up in New Jersey. As with many, ice cream and childhood are inseparably linked to good memories.

"I sponsored my son's little league team this year," she said. "It's fun that after a game they all come back for a Blizzard or a cone, so they're able to make those memories as well."