‘Historic’ Minnesota DQ Building Saved, Now Open As ‘Sprinkles’

A historic and 'controversial' Minnesota Dairy Queen building has been saved, as well as transformed. The former DQ may have a new name and a new owner, but it's still serving up ice cream to hungry residents. Former St. Cloud State University student Tim Hughes has transformed the old DQ into what he now calls 'Sprinkles', and it serves up soft serve ice cream that seems to have the neighborhood talking.

A Lifelong Dream Of A Former College Roommate

Tim and I used to be roommates at St. Cloud State, and he has had a passion for food service and food for as long as I've known him. Tim used to share with me his dream of being a cook and opening up a restaurant, and actually, Tim did just that several years ago when he purchased Maverick's Real Roast Beef, located along Lexington Ave in Roseville.

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When he was talking about opening up his place in college, he loved the idea of an old-school root beer float/soft serve ice cream. Something that would be timeless, but not be too overwhelming to run, as you probably only would have it open 5 months a year.

A 2nd Dream Coming True

When news of the former Dairy Queen along Lexington was for sale, there were worries from those in the community and in the neighborhood that the building would be sold and demolished for something new.

Tim to the rescue.

Tim purchased the building and, after some time getting it set up, opened it back up. The new shop is called 'Sprinkles', and it is still serving ice cream, this time it's soft serve, and from the early reviews I've seen online, it's some of the best stuff around.

A Signature Soft Serve That You Can Taste

The soft serve that Tim Hughes is offering up is a little bit different than what you might get at other ice cream joints in Minnesota. Tim is going full flavor with his 'flurries' as they feature a "10% butterfat soft serve ice cream", which creates a rich/thick treat that can be mixed with other items like crushed Whoppers and Oreos.

On top of the 'flurries' that are being offered, Tim is serving up slushies and snow cones. Tim told me that outside his walk-up store, he has seating for 60 people comfortably, and since its opening last week, it's been pretty full during the evenings.

It's Been Big News For The Community

WCCO in the Twin Cities was all over Tim purchasing the building earlier this year, and in the process of talking to him about the former DQ, Tim also shared his journey into owning Maverick's Real Roast Beef, you can watch the interview to learn more about the reasons behind the purchase, and get to know Tim a little.

You can find the new soft serve shop, Sprinkles, at 1720 Lexington Ave N, Roseville, MN 55113.