Dairy Bar

Dairy Bar Dairy Bar was one of the original Dairy Queens opened in 1950, at some point in the 1960's the franchise was dropped and it became the Dairy Bar as we know it!
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03/26/2026

Good morning! I took quite a bit of flak for not announcing our opening yesterday 😅 there were some loose ends to tie up and mechanical kinks that I still need to get worked out…. So the decision was to have a “soft” unpublicized opening….. but it didn’t take long and when you found us, you found us 😂😂

So here we go, 2026!! We are currently closing at 8 p.m. and I ask that you be respectful of closing time. There is quite a bit of clean up etc that gets done after close and this gets everyone home in a more timely manner while the school year winds down!

We’re inching closer 😅 I’m having a really hard time getting fired up this year, but we will get there! I remember thin...
03/18/2026

We’re inching closer 😅 I’m having a really hard time getting fired up this year, but we will get there! I remember thinking having babies would be such a challenge while running a season intense business…. Then both of them were born right as I should be opening 😜 and honestly the infant days were easy!! It is so much harder to give up the freedom of the “off season” now that they are older and in activities!!

Here are the first of many- Some delayed birthday treats going to the school today 💕

Yesterday I took this sad dreary picture thinking it would be a “Hey, look I’m kind of adulting and thinking about getti...
03/06/2026

Yesterday I took this sad dreary picture thinking it would be a “Hey, look I’m kind of adulting and thinking about getting things ready to open” …. Then I went inside and spent the next 20 minutes eating left over Tex Mex 🤷🏼‍♀️ because really I’m not that good at adulting!

Then a text popped in from a previous employee…. She said some of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me and ended with “as ungrateful of a little s**t as I was and so naive, I often find it’s your advice in the back of my head while I’m trying to figure out adulthood” 😭😭and while I can’t advise taking advice from someone who just admitted they suck at adulting, I will never forget how that message made me feel!

Honestly, that may have been the why I needed to make it through another season 💕 you know who you are….. Jeff wants to know if you need a job?! Xoxo

When I get asked why I don’t stay open year round…… this is why 😅 I get the kids on the bus and thaw out with coffee by ...
01/30/2026

When I get asked why I don’t stay open year round…… this is why 😅 I get the kids on the bus and thaw out with coffee by the fire!! AND I just don’t want to 😂😂

Teenagers interested in jobs are trickling in! We won’t have a lot of spots to fill this year so don’t wait until summer hits if you’re interested! As always, interested in adults or perhaps a college age to help cover afternoons until school gets out for the summer! Think end of March - May 11-4/5ish (can continue after that or take the summer off)

Stay warm 🥰 it won’t be long until we’re cooling off with some Dairy Bar ice cream!!

01/05/2026

Happy New Year!!!!! The kids are back to school, the hubs is back at work and I’m on my second cup of coffee doing my normal “oh crap, it’s January and THIS is the list I have approximately 2.5 months to complete” 😅

I’ve never been huge on New Year’s resolutions, but I do always have goals. January becomes my time of reflection and setting goals…. So here is the wild ride my mind has been on this morning!!

19 years ago right now is what I’ll call the calm before the storm. My mom was sick, but I don’t think any of us had considered she wasn’t going to keep beating her cancer. I had a REAL job and was putting the finishing touches on wedding planning. Fast forward to me quitting my job and taking out a business mortgage, getting married and losing my mom 😳 it was a rollercoaster and I only had one goal… I had to make enough to pay that mortgage and carry on her legacy.

The next spring my salesman at the time told us that the average span of a restaurant owner is 10 years…. I looked at Jeff and said “I hate to be anything less than average….I guess our goal is 10 years” 😅

At year 19 the mortgage has been long paid off. We have surpassed 10 years. We have two beautiful daughters who currently have goals to one day run the Dairy Bar 🤷🏼‍♀️ or just play softball 😆
My goals are simple:
1- make it one more year
2- give myself the grace and flexibility to be present as my girls grow and continue to get busier 💕

😳 how are you all coming with Christmas prep?! Even though my children tell me every morning how many days until Christm...
12/17/2025

😳 how are you all coming with Christmas prep?! Even though my children tell me every morning how many days until Christmas it seems like a surprise each day lol that leads me to thinking “how will I ever get all the things done?!”

I’m a procrastinator to the very depths of my soul lol so I will be in a state of panic for the next 8 days, but so casually working on my goody list that there will be treats that never get made!

What are your must have holiday treats?!

Each year I make my grandma’s cutout cookies…. It doesn’t matter how many cookies my brothers have eaten, they will both root through Tupperware containers until they find the the frosted cutouts! My girls will have a special one for uncle Bob with enough red hots to light his mouth on fire 😂😂. Those will be made when the girls are home to help! (But I can totally see why my mom let that be a grandma job…. The mess!!)

As for today, the first batch of caramel corn just came out of the oven, and conveniently there is nobody here to root through and find the prized clumps with extra caramel that can’t be broken apart 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s a hard job, but I guess I better get to it 💕

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas season and time to remember the old traditions and if you’re feeling ambitious create new ones!

My bestie is trying to make the best of a bummer situation. Due to a wedding being postponed she’s whipping out some be...
10/09/2025

My bestie is trying to make the best of a bummer situation. Due to a wedding being postponed she’s whipping out some beautiful arrangements trying to help recover the cost of flowers so that when the time comes the bride and groom can still have the wedding they’ve been dreaming of 💕 message her to place an order!!

09/23/2025

There is nothing more humbling for me than opening day and closing day! Ya’ll just show up and I think how lucky we are…. I worry about 100 different things every. Single. Day… However, I never worry about having customers. 💕 Thanks guys, for making each year a success!

I had an exceptional team of workers this year that makes me think “hey, I can do this one more year” 🥰 so a very special thanks to each of them…. They are the reason I might be willing to open again in 6 months 💕

And although my children are sad that we’re done for the year, they are also excited for mom being home. Getting off the bus to baked treats. Supper together around the table every night and to never having to ask if they have any clean underwear 😅…. It’s in their blood and hopefully in the somewhat near future they are the ones making these posts and taking care of business 💕 until then, we will see you in the spring!!

09/22/2025

It was a nice weekend and the mix is much closer than I anticipated!! Today COULD be the last day…. If we open Wednesday we probably won’t make it a full day, so lock down that last treat while you still can!!

We are already sold out of most of the frozen treats! No more Bbq beef for the season and that list may or may not grow as the day goes on!

09/19/2025

Good morning! Reminder that this will be our last weekend at the shop, we will likely be here a day or two next week 😳 and that’s it!! We also still have some 75th anniversary shirts that would make a great Christmas gift!

At one of our tournaments this summer the girls saw this sign…. Immediately Eileen contested it…. Hazel, a girl after my...
09/17/2025

At one of our tournaments this summer the girls saw this sign…. Immediately Eileen contested it…. Hazel, a girl after my own heart and one who knows how to work the system said “I guess we won’t know unless we try it” 😂😂

All three gave it a sideways thumb and declared the Dairy Bar was still top ranked LOL

So here is your PSA- we are halfway through our last- full week at the Dairy Bar… this will be your last chance for the best tasting ice cream in Iowa… at least according to three of my favorite hooligans 💕

09/12/2025

Good morning and happy homecoming to the Trojans 💕. We have ran into some scheduling conflicts between my own prior commitments and homecoming festivities! Our hours for the next few days are:
Today Friday 12th closing @ 3:00p.m.
Saturday 13th closed all day
Sunday open normal hours!
I apologize for any inconvenience but promise we will be back in full force to wrap up the season!!

Address

1002 W Burlington Avenue
Fairfield, IA
52556

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 9pm
Thursday 11am - 9pm
Friday 11am - 9pm
Saturday 11am - 9pm
Sunday 12pm - 9pm

Telephone

(641) 472-2417

Website

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