Elm Road’s dairy monarchs
Family celebrates platinum anniversary at Warren location
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WARREN -- The Niemi family has been peddling Dairy Queen soft-serve for seven decades out of the store on Elm Road, and the family matriarch said she began her experience with milk products at a young age.
"I was 5 years old living on a farm in Hartford when I began milking the cows," Ilene Niemi said.
Ilene Niemi was a Spanish and English teacher at the old Bazetta High School when she met her future husband, Edwin.
"I saw him across the street from the school when he was home from the service," Ilene said as she reminisced about the ice cream business in the Elm Road store last week.
Edwin Niemi was more than 25 years old by the time he met Ilene. He already had held various jobs and graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with a degree in engineering. Ilene said she "married into" the business when she and Edwin wed in July 1953.
"It was a big part of our lives," she said.
The 95-year-old now is retired to a Cortland care center, but the business is marking its 70th year with son Anthony Niemi at the helm.
Anthony Niemi talked about how the business of selling soft-serve cones topped off with the signature DQ curl got started on Elm Road in 1952.
"My father and his brother had an uncle who ran a Dairy Queen in Toledo. The uncle wanted to start selling popcorn there, and he said, 'The heck with it,' and sold his two ice cream machines to his nephews. My uncle went up with his big truck to haul those big machines to Warren."
Anthony took over the business in 1998 from his father, who died in 2021. He said he had been in the printing business and was looking for a change. He said like his parents, who split duties in the business, he did the same with his late wife, Kathleen.
"It's always been about family here," Anthony said, pointing out the secret behind the family's success can be linked to the store having only four managers during seven decades in business.
The first three managers were Opal Rowlands, Sarah Pope and Gisela Hipkins. Hipkins' daughter, Cindy Sumner, now is manager. Leslie Obradovich also was a longtime cake decorator.
"The business is getting more complicated with all the new technology. We will be getting new cash registers," Anthony said.
The current store manager said she has been blessed to have good workers, many of whom are high school and college students working their first jobs.
"We have a lot of workers who come back each summer, but you'd be amazed at the number of jobs they said they have never done before. They learn how to work here. I am like their mother, keeping on them to do a good job," Sumner said. Each summer, she said, the employment rolls raise to about 20 workers and drops back when the summer ends.
"We have to cut back hours, now that school is back in session," Sumner said.
Anthony Niemi said he gets to hear often from former employees.
"I've had many people come back and say they appreciate what we've taught them about working. I've had people tell me I taught them how to work, and they appreciate it. Many have gone on to be successful in their careers and their lives," he said.
Ilene Niemi said she has met a lot of people over the years but can't name any favorite customers.
"We've been such a big part of the community over the years. I've loved every bit of it," Ilene Niemi said.
ESTABLISHED CHAIN
Dairy Queen was a national chain ice cream outlet when the Elm Road store opened in 1952, she said. About 12 years earlier, the first Dairy Queen store was established in Joliet, Ill.
Ilene Niemi still refers to the main product as Dairy Queen instead of ice cream.
When it opened, the store had a simple menu with just vanilla soft serve and many toppings that came in large frozen cans.
"There was strawberry, pineapple and of course, chocolate and fudge. We had lots of toppings," she said.
Anthony remembers the menu later expanded with the Dilly Bars, the banana splits and the peanut buster parfait, which was invented in Akron, he said.
Ilene Niemi remembers brothers Edwin and Arnie Niemi obtained the current Elm Road property in a land deal.
"We had owned the land that is now the (Elm Road) plaza, and we traded for this one," she said.
Anthony Niemi said he began working in the store at age 15.
"I remember my mom kept the books, and my dad worked on the machines," she said.
Anthony said he is not planning any special celebrations for the 70th anniversary. But "on Sept. 10, we will be selling special sundaes for 70 cents each," he said.
At the end of the 1975 season, the original Dairy Queen building was torn down and a new one constructed. An atrium was added in the front so people could wait inside for their orders. An outdoor picnic area behind and on the side of the business was also added. The new building opened in the spring 1976.
"We really appreciate all the years we've been here, the community support we've received and the opportunity to continue," Anthony said. "It's just a way of saying thanks and showing we really do appreciate the people who have worked for us and been our customers over the years."