After a franchisee announced they would close nearly two dozen stores, the Bedford-based Texas Dairy Queen Operators Council says the fast food chain "remains a strong brand" in Texas and that they "will continue to serve" customers from their nearly 600 Texas restaurants.
The statement comes days after Vasari LLC announced they would be closing 22 stores, 18 of which were in Texas.
The operators council said Thursday there are 130 Dairy Queen franchisees in the state of Texas who operate more than 575 locations -- more than any other U.S. state.
"Although the franchisee determined that bankruptcy protection was necessary to strengthen its company, Dairy Queen remains a strong brand in our state," the operators council said in a statement. "Texas Dairy Queen remains steadfast in our pursuit to serve the best food and soft-serve products. We are proud to employ thousands of our fellow Texans and serve millions of burgers, baskets and Blizzards to happy customers."
In the bankruptcy filing, Vasari LLC states that many of its restaurants are in prime "oil country" and the locations have struggled to survive the far-reaching effects of dramatic decline in oil prices. The statement goes on to add that several stores were negatively impacted by Hurricane Harvey, which resulted in physical damage, extended closures and loss of inventory.
None of the 18 Texas locations being closed by Vasari were in North Texas.
