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Draft:Home of the Train - Dairy Keen

Home of the Train - Dairy Keen
Map
Restaurant information
Established1968
Owner(s)MaWhinney Family
Food typeFast food
Street address199 S. Main st.
CityHeber City
CountyWasatch
StateUtah
Postal/ZIP Code84032
CountryUnited States
Coordinates40°30.309′N 111°24.788′W / 40.505150°N 111.413133°W / 40.505150; -111.413133
ReservationsNo
Other locationsNo
Websitewww.dairykeen.com

Home of the Train - Dairy Keen is a fast-food restaurant in Heber City, Utah that was founded in 1968[1] by the MaWhinney family. The restaurant features a train theme, highlighted by a model train which runs in a closed loop around its ceiling. It mainly serves hamburgers, milkshakes, salads, and sandwiches.

History

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Purchasing a Dairy Queen

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Originally, a Dairy Queen franchise was located where the current Dairy Keen building stands now. In the late 1960's, the owners of the Dairy Queen franchise asked the MaWhinney's, who had been running businesses in Heber since 1946, to purchase their franchise. Instead, the MaWhinney's decided to buy the building without the franchising rights. They were unable to afford a new sign, instead resorting to alter the existing Dairy Queen sign by replacing the "QU" with a "K" creating the name "Dairy Keen" opening in the summer of 1968.[2][1]

Adding a Train

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Throughout the 1980's, Max MaWhinney, the establishment's owner at the time, was involved in efforts to save the historic Heber Valley Railroad from demolition, which gave him the idea to build a model train to run around the ceiling. He added several train themed decorations and menu items, and rebranded the restaurant to "Home of the Train - Dairy Keen".

Rebuilding

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By the mid 1990's, the MaWhinney's decided that the aging building no longer fit their needs and began planning a new building. The new building opened by 1998 and was finished shortly after. It incorporated Max MaWhinney's vision of a model train that runs around the ceiling, among other train-themed decor. The old building remained operational while construction of the new building took place, but was demolished shortly after its opening. Since completion, a small number of expansions and remodels have occurred, the largest of which expanded the dinning room with new seating and a unique coin-operated model of the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter book series.

Products

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Dairy Keen predominantly serves hamburgers, milkshakes, French fries, and soft drinks. Their menu also includes salads, sandwiches (including chicken sandwiches), various ice cream treats, and several specials and sides.[3] Like many other fast-food restaurants, Dairy Keen offers combos, called "meal deals" that include a main course (usually a hamburger or sandwich), a side, and a drink. Modifiers are allowed on most items, though some cost extra.

Hamburgers

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Most of Dairy Keen's hamburgers are spins on the 1/4 lb. Cheeseburger, such as the Bacon Cheeseburger, which is a 1/4 Cheeseburger with bacon on it. 1/2 lb. Double variants are offered for most burgers, which contain 2 1/4 lb. beef patties. Some hamburgers are served with house-made ranch dressing instead of ketchup and mustard. 1/6 lb. "junior" hamburgers are also offered in kid's meals.

Ice Cream and Milkshakes

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Dairy Keen serves dozens of milkshake flavors including, but not limited to Oreo, cookie dough, Butterfinger, Reece's Peanut Butter Cup, and fresh fruits such as strawberry and raspberry. Shakes are made with a base of ice cream and mixed with the chosen flavor. The restaurant also serves ice cream sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream cones.

Other Items

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These are some, but not all, of the other items Dairy Keen serves.

Drinks

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Dairy Keen serves Coca-Cola Company products as most of its drinks, but also serves limeades, fruit drinks, and slushes. Drinks in the dining room are dispensed through Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.

Sides

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While the restaurant's primary side is French fries, it also serves onion rings, tater tots, and sweet potato fries among others.

Salads

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The restaurant serves a few types of salads including garden, chef, grilled chicken, and taco.

Specials

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Some of Dairy Keen's specials include grilled cheese, fish and chips, tacos, and several daily specials: Navajo tacos (Monday), Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwiches (Tuesday), sloppy joes (Wednesday), mushroom burgers (Thursday), and fish tacos (Friday).

Seasonal Items

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Dairy Keen offers some seasonal items, only available at certain times of the year.

Seasonal Milkshakes

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Throughout the year, several milkshake flavors are sold exclusively during certain months. Some of these include: peach during the late summer, pumpkin throughout fall and winter, and peppermint around the Christmas season.

Soup

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Exclusive to the fall and winter, Dairy Keen sells various soups that are changed on a daily basis.

Gluten Free Menu

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Dairy Keen has an expansive gluten free allergy menu, offering nearly every hamburger, milkshake, sandwich, and fried side as a gluten free option. Seasonal soups may also be made gluten free.

Reviews and Awards

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Dairy Keen reviews generally positively, commonly praised for food taste, family friendly atmosphere, and quick service. The establishment has also received a number of complaints, mainly from inconsistent food quality, incorrect orders, and unusually long wait times.

Utah Best of State Awards

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Since 2003, Dairy Keen has won Utah Best of State Awards 56 times.

References

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  1. ^ a b Guide, Heber Valley (2018-11-21). "Dairy Keen – 4 Generations Serving Best of State Burgers and Shakes". Heber Valley Guide. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  2. ^ "About | Dairy Keen | Utah". Dairy Keen. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  3. ^ "Menu - Dairy Keen - Home of the Train - 42 tips from 762 visitors". foursquare.com. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
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