CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the mild temperatures, this past weekend was perfect to come out and get your last ice cream cone from the iconic Dairy Queen off Central Avenue.
The shop closed on Sunday, Oct. 27.
Lacy Walters started as milk delivery man in Charlotte before he gave it up to swirl Dairy Queen ice cream in the 1970s.
"We were selling cones for like 15 and 20 cents," Walters said.
Walters' family owns two 1950 style Dairy Queens in Charlotte -- one off Wilkinson Boulevard with the iconic eskimo and one off Central Avenue, which closed this weekend.
(Lacy Walters)
"The whole side of town over there looked like a loss cause, but for some reason you know what has happened over there, it has kicked in," Walters said.
Development in Plaza Midwood is exploding right now with new apartments and restaurants popping up all over Central Avenue.
When Ashton Properties bought the Dairy Queen building, Walters' son said they were still planning to stay. They even drew up plans to remodel the existing building, which still has a lot of the original details.
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The lease agreement ended up falling through. The family said there were many factors, but the main reason was that they couldn't get a long-term lease agreement.
Many people said they are sad to see the Dairy Queen go. Porter Garner said it has been a staple and a childhood memory for him.
"About 20 years ago, my mom used to go to the car dealer, Volvo, and we could get treated to an ice cream cone for having to sit in the lobby," Garner said.
Walters said his customers and his employees are the reason the place as stood for so long.
"I cannot put it into words how much we appreciate how the people over there have supported that store," Walters said.
The family said they're looking to put in a new Dairy Queen somewhere else in this neighborhood.
Ashton Properties sent Channel 9 a statement:
"Aston Properties and Dairy Queen have mutually agreed that their lease agreement at 1431 Central Avenue will end in November. Although the two parties could not agree on terms for a renewal, Dairy Queen expects to announce a new location in the near future, and we wish them well. Aston Properties plans to make needed improvements to the building and looks forward to identifying a new tenant for this irreplaceable location in Plaza Midwood."
Aston Properties said it has no plans to tear down the building.
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