INFORMATION/PHOTOS SUBMITTED TO CONNECT-BRIDGEPORT

 

One of the region’s most iconic items is attached to a national restaurant chain. And it’s in neighboring Taylor County.

 

What sits on the roof of the Grafton Dairy Queen is something no other Dairy Queen in existence can claim. It is home to the last original DQ Eskimo Girl sign that was refurbished by Bill Leaseburg of Bridgeport’s The Starving Artist. Leaseburg also did paintings that hang inside the Dairy Queen.

 

The refurbished solid porcelain sign may be old, but the store itself just received a modern upgrade. On Monday, the store celebrated and grand reopening. The event comes more than 60 years after Dairy Queen first opened at the location on U.S. Route 50 East of the city.

 

For decades, the Dairy Queen was walk-up only. The location that opened in 1957 had outdoor picnic tables for seating, which doesn’t bode well many months of the year. Now, that’s changed as well.

 

The renovation includes indoor seating as part of the new dining area. Along with the area that holds up to 24 customers, there is a drink station, new flooring and lighting.  The store’s hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

 

Editor's Note: In the small gallery below are photos of two of the paintings done by Bill Leaseburg of Bridgeport's The Starving Artist that hang on the wall inside the restaurant.