ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Dairy Chef is a staple in Elkhorn on 204th and W Maple Rd. Since 1969, the restaurant has been serving customers and creating community. Now, new renovations will help bring in an even bigger crowd.
- We talked to people in Olde Towne Elkhorn about their thoughts on the popular restaurant. Many were excited to hear about the renovations.
- "I think everybody is going to like that. It's not nice when it's really hot to be standing out there, you know, sweating," said Kathy Steinbach, a fan of Dairy Chef.
- Renovations will be completed by early next week. The restaurant will open on Tues. March 12.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Elkhorn, Dairy Chef is the place to get your ice cream fixings on a warm spring or hot summer day. For a place that's seemingly never changed, a new look is in the works and the people of Elkhorn are ready for it.
Since 1969, Dairy Chef has been serving up customers and creating community.
"It's really family friendly/ They've got amazing ice cream, huge ice cream cones," said Amy Anderson, Elkhorn resident and owner of Little Scandinavia.
"The lines are a block long, but nobody seems to mind. Everybody's just there, kind of a social event and having a ball," said Deb Wortman an Elkhorn resident.
"The thing is it’s so small for a business inside to eat but outside, it’s up and down the highway with cars just waiting for the ice cream yes," said Bryon Ueckert, who grew up in the ares.
To keep up with the demand, the Ozmun family, who took over Dairy Chef in 2013, has been making some changes.
Now they're renovating the patio area for one of their biggest projects yet.
"We wanted to get it leveled out a lot more and then we also doubled the size of it so now it's a lot bigger and it's going to be a lot more comfortable for people," said Michael Ozmun, the general manager of Dairy Chef.
The previous patio had minimal seating and uneven concrete which meant once people went through the line: "A lot of people just got the ice cream and sat in the backseat of their car or on the hood," said Ueckert.
These renovations are just the first step in updating the restaurant.
"Eventually, our next plan is to get an overhang so we will have shade for it. That's one thing our customers really want back is some shade," said Ozmun.
Fans of the restaurant we talked to agree.
"I think everybody is going to like that. It's not nice when it's really hot to be standing out there, you know, sweating," said Kathy Steinbach, a fan of Dairy Chef.
Renovations will be completed by early next week with the restaurant planning to open for the season on March 12.
