Iconic ice cream chain unexpectedly closing locations

One of the toughest industries to try to make a living in is the restaurant business. 

On the labor side of things, being a hostess, cook or waitstaff can require long, difficult hours. 

Related: Iconic retail chain begins going-out-of-business sales

Often, staff is required to work when everybody else is off; typically this means shifts during the weekends or evenings. 

And working at a restaurant can be thankless. Staff usually works for reduced wages in the hopes that they'll make up the difference with tips and gratuities. 

Working at a restaurant also means dealing with difficult customers, high demands, or rowdy, hard to please, or disorderly patrons. Add all of these factors together and it's easy to understand why it can be difficult to hire -- and keep -- restaurant staff for a long period of time.

On the business side of things, it doesn't get much easier. 

The National Restaurant Association estimates that approximately 60% of all restaurants fail within their first year of opening. About 80% are expected to fail within five years.

Dining out is getting harder to do

And it's not exactly easy to be a customer at a restaurant these days, either. 

The Consumer Price Index found that dining out at a restaurant is getting more expensive by the month. 

The most recent February data shows that prices rose by 0.2% on the month. In January, prices were up 0.5%. This puts our annual inflation rate at 2.8%. 

"The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent in February," the CPI found. "The index for full service meals rose 0.4 percent over the month and the index for limited service meals rose 0.3 percent."

Related: Global supermarket leader closing 17 stores, dozens of cafes

Over the past year, the price for eating out at a sit-down restaurant rose by 3.7%.

And since the price of nearly everything is up, many would-be diners are choosing to spend their money on the things they need -- like school supplies, groceries, and household items -- instead of discretionary products and services, like a meal out at a restaurant. 

Popular fast food chain closing more stores

And now, Dairy Queen, the beloved ice cream and burger chain is closing more locations as it faces turmoil in Texas. 

As of April 1, 2025, Dairy Queen has closed up shop in at least locations in Texas, including restaurants in:  

• Hemphill
• Jasper
• Kountze
• Huntington
• Longview Eastman 
• Lufkin

But Dairy Queen says the closures across the state are related to a franchise issue, and do not reflect the health of the company as a whole.

Related: Iconic retail chain begins going-out-of-business sales

“These closures are related to closures last month by the same franchise owner,” a Dairy Queen spokesperson said of the shutterings. “The closures are an isolated event, and we refrain from publicly sharing contract terms."

At some of the closing locations, the "complete contents" of the stores are up for auction online for interested buyers.

"Multiple Dairy Queen locations are closing their doors and must liquidate the assets. Bid on a large variety of restaurant assets and related items that need to be removed from the location. Buyers are responsible for disassembling and removing purchased assets and must bring their own help and tools," the online auction listing reads.