Dairy Queen Where Fire Truck Crashed Prepares To Reopen
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FARMERSVILLE (CBS11) - Nearly four months after a fire truck came crashing through a Collin County Dairy Queen, a relaunch is just around the corner.
There's still a lot of work to do, but after insurance and weather delays employees are ready to put the finishing touches on Farmersville's former crash site.
Dozens of Dairy Queen employees could have been out of a job.
But months after a fire truck slammed through their store they're hard at work helping the owner reopen!
"Right now everybody's missing their breakfast, and I need my steak fingers, and we had a little boy got us the other day, 'I just gotta have my Blizzard, you know, when are y'all opening back up?'" Tina Shores said.
For 15 years, Tina Shores has served long-time Dairy Queen customers. Some of those regulars call this their second home.
"They're beyond ready. In fact I'm getting threats if we don't hurry up and get open, they're going to kill me, so yeah. No that's true. That's not exaggerating that," owner Joe McKee said.
The business isn't just near and dear to customers. The long-time staff depends on it for a living and a sense of community.
"We're on the countdown, very close. I'm just counting the days to be able to open back up and have something to do," employee Tammy Fisher said.
The crash investigation and the wait for insurance adjusters meant delays for rebuilding.
"Too much time at home. You know it's like I've never played games and stuff, and now I've got like five of them on my pad. It's just like I had nothing to do," Shores said.
Fortunately for employees, McKee was able to keep them on the payroll since the January crash. He credits business interruption insurance, but his workers say they're grateful to him.
"I don't want to make it out like I'm some big Saint or some big hero or something. I did have the foresight at least to have a pretty decent policy," McKee said.
"We're real thankful to Joe because he didn't have to do it. We could have been all out looking for a place to go, but yeah he stuck with us, so we're sticking with him," Shores said.
He doesn't want to commit to a firm date yet, but McKee is planning a soft opening in a couple of weeks followed by a Grand Opening a little later, but it may be difficult to make any opening here soft.
Check out our photo gallery on the Dairy Queen.
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