The Edgartown Dairy Queen is up for sale, potentially opening up a new chapter in the storied ice cream franchise’s history on Martha’s Vineyard.
Christopher Celeste, the co-owner of Rosewater, purchased the ice cream shop on Main street in 2017 and listed it in a classified ad last week. A price was not disclosed.
When the Celeste family initially took over the ice cream shop from longtime owners Antone (Tony) and Erika Bettencourt, they intended to run it as owner-operators, intimately involved in the day to day runnings,” Mr. Celeste said.
Mr. Celeste’s son Max Celeste had been running the business until 2020, when he decided that he and his family could no longer fully dedicate themselves to it anymore, Mr. Celeste said. He hopes the future buyer will give the business the attention it deserves.
“I think the owner should be behind the counter,” Mr. Celeste said. “It’s the only way to really understand the rhythms of the business.”
Dairy Queen is one of the few national franchises on the Island, its founding predating local restrictions on fast food. Despite its corporate cachet, it’s long been a go-to spot for Islanders looking to get their frozen fix.
“There’s an irony that here this national fast-food franchise has become a beloved local institution,” Mr. Celeste said.
An LLC connected to David and Jessica Rosenberg purchased the building that Dairy Queen is in and an adjacent property in 2021 for $2.8 million. Only the business is for sale.
Although the call has been out less than a week, Mr. Celeste said he has already received dozens of interested buyers, many of whom adamantly profess their love of Dairy Queen. Because of the Vineyard’s unique business landscape, Mr. Celeste said that whoever the family sold to would ideally have prior experience operating a business on-Island.
Regardless, Mr. Celeste is considering any and all offers.
“That’s the great thing about Dairy Queen – it’s always been egalitarian,” he said. “Everybody comes in.”
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