It’s Dairy Queen season

By Ginny Raue
WEST MILFORD — Way back in 1928, the song “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream” was first recorded. While it’s hard to relate to the dated and hokey lyrics of the song today, the gist is timeless – most of us love ice cream.

Now, as the weather warms up and thoughts turn toward to those frozen pleasures - cones and shakes and so on - a trip to Dairy Queen (DQ) on Marshall Hill Road in West Milford will quickly soothe that ache in your sweet tooth. Here, a Blizzard is a good thing.

Independently owned and operated by Dennis and Kathy Korsakoff, DQ opened in the beginning of March and will remain open until mid-October. During that time period, the couple will work seven days a week, 10 hours a day, supplemented by five part-time employees.

The Korsakoffs, Vernon residents, have been married for 45 years and proudly spoke of their three children; a gastroenterologist, a nurse practitioner and the manager of another of their enterprises, JMK Provisions, a Thumans distributorship. They have four grandchildren and are looking forward to the birth of twin granddaughters in July. Lucky kids; grandma and grandpa own an ice cream store.

Dennis Korsakoff, who spoke for the couple, formerly worked in industrial rubber products. Always hoping to own his own business, 14 years ago he took the plunge and opened the DQ.

DQ, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is headquartered in Minnesota and franchises can be found around the world including in Bahrain and Singapore. If you’re on your way to visit the Pyramids of Giza you can stop by the Mall of Arabia for a Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard – it’s on their menu.

When Korsakoff first bought the business, he had to spend two weeks training in Minnesota. In the winter. A frozen treat in itself, no doubt. Every five years, DQ owners are required to be re-certified in safe food handling.

What’s your pleasure?If it’s hard ice cream that you crave, DQ carries 16 flavors and one sugar free flavor. Soft serve ice cream comes in vanilla, chocolate and twist, a combination of both. There are ice cream cakes, which are Kathy’s specialty, sundaes, Dilly and Buster Bars, ice cream sandwiches, malts, shakes, floats and fudge bars. If you’d like a taste of the past, DQ also makes egg creams.

This year they will be bringing back the popular Cotton Candy Blizzard and a new product will soon be on the menu that’s sure to draw those with discriminating tastes – DQ Bakes, a hot dessert treat. The oven is on the way.

Calorie countingTo ease your conscience, all soft serve ice cream is reduced fat. According to the DQ web site, a small vanilla cone is 230 calories. A DQ Fudge Bar, no sugar added and fat free, is just 50 calories. You could have two of those and still rest easy.

Throwing caution to the wind, Korsakoff favors peanut butter ice cream.

“I got it in one time by mistake and was going to send it back. It turned out to be my favorite,” he said. Kathy prefers soft serve vanilla dipped in a hard cherry shell.

Was that who I thought it was?When you stop by for a cone keep your eyes peeled and you may just find yourself in line with Derek Jeter.

“He’s been in many times, he’s a Dairy Queen fan,” Korsakoff said.

Other ball players, while not quite as famous, often visit. The Korsakoffs give a 10 percent team discount and also sponsor a girls’ softball team.

Getting to know youKorsakoff enjoys meeting and serving his customers.

“The people are very nice, it’s like they’re friends of mine. We have a conversation, we get to know them. I think we have the greatest customers in the world,” he said.

The Korsakoffs are contented and cheerful business owners but when they shut their doors for the winter season they are known to kick back, relax and enjoy some traveling.

DQ is open roughly 240 days a year. The clock is ticking.