It's A Rite Of The Season: Berlin Dairy Queen Is A Meeting Place and Landmark

If you are going to meet someone in Berlin, you have probably met at the Kensington Dairy Queen. If you are giving directions to someone who is lost, you use the underpass and Dairy Queen as landmarks in giving those directions. 

Since 1982 when Gary and Linda Somerset bought Dairy Queen at the corner of Farmington Avenue and Main Street, Dairy Queen has been a focal point of people's lives and the downtown area. 

Gary and Linda's daughter Amanda owns the store with her parents now though you will still see her parents working there. Gary Somerset bought and opened a Grill & Chill Dairy Queen in South Windsor at 845 Sullivan Ave.

"South Windsor will be a Grill & Chill," Amanda said. "My dad is a partner with Bob Larkin. It also has a mini golf course on the property. South Windsor will be year-round but as everyone knows, Kensington is seasonal.

"I definitely grew up there," Amanda said. "I started serving customers at 11- years old after they added a drive thru on. We are all a family. All the employees are like family. I've had many long-term employees. One is Heather Goglia, who I hired as her first job and this year graduated college and is now my assistant manager." 

Amanda Somerset became the full-time manager in 1999 and she has been there ever since.  

"I love my job," she said. "I love to see all the customers come back year after year. Kensington is a great small town and DQ has become a meeting spot for everyone." 

One of the biggest developments in the success of the business was when the drive thru was added in 1986. At the same time Dairy Queen took possession of all of the property that housed Town & Country and Pulcini Shoes. The land was used to expand parking and to beautify the outdoor dining. 

The parking lot is usually filled or close to full to capacity and it not unusual for cars waiting in line for the drive thru to spill over onto Farmington Ave. 

Last week when the temperatures closed in on 100 degrees, DQ was humming. 

"It's amazing to see everyone come out for a cool treat, even in the extreme heat," Amanda said. 

Amanda Somerset said that what makes Dairy Queen special is the team of employees who work hard and rarely get a break. 

"My team is amazing," she said. "We average 70 to 80 cars per hour at the drive thru on peak hours." 

Amanda is also proud of the products that the business serves. 

"We have a variety of healthier options with no sugar added products to low calorie smoothies," she said. "Our soft serve is all reduced fat as well but most customers probably don't know that." 

Amanda Somerset said she hasn't known anything but a family business growing up working at DQ.

"Its nice to have it a family business," she said. "My parents and myself and hopefully my daughter, Ciara, who will be 6 in Oct., will have interest when she's older. She can already make a cone with the trademark curl on top." 

When asked if she ever thought about keeping Berlin open year-round, Somerset paused for less than a second, "Nope," she said with a laugh. "It wouldn't make sense since we are a walk up store. It's just too cold. South Windsor will be perfect as there's tons of seating inside. It's got more of a restaurant feel."

How does Somerset regroup after working so hard from March until November? 

"I have a low-key winter," she said. "I usually gear up and prepare for the next season. I stay in CT. with everyone else. DQ is an amazing business and I love being apart of seeing customers smile. It's very rewarding."