Dairy Queen Grill & Chill — Restaurant in Maple Ridge

Update: This review is now nearly 6 months old and may or may not reflect the current situation at this location. Please read with that in mind.

Preface: I tried to submit this complaint privately through their website 'contact us' page, however their feedback form only throws errors.

The manager or owner put up a sign stating that they wouldn't be accepting expired coupons anymore. That's fine, and totally fair. What isn't fine OR fair is that the sign subsequently blamed that change on a minimum wage increase, and suggested that the store wasn't profitable with the new wages. That's the work of a really, really bad leader. Simultaneously throwing employees under the bus to customers ("don't be mad at me, the one who should be accountable for this decision, be mad at my minimum wage employees!") while also announcing your resentment over being forced to pay minimum wage to your staff? That's really upsetting. Can you imagine being an employee and knowing your boss doesn't even think you're worth minimum wage? How awful for employee morale and retention. I can tell you for certain that, if I worked there and saw that, my motivation to work hard would disappear.

Shame on the manager/owner who posted that sign. Seriously. The minimum wage workers are the only reason you HAVE a business. You owe ANY success you have to them, not the other way around.

As for the staff we interacted with, they were all lovely people who were absolutely doing their best while crazy busy and understaffed. I have only positive things to say about the staff. They were far better than the manager of this...

Just went in around 8:30 p.m. this evening to try the new Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. I went up to the counter, wondering if the Blizzard had soft- or hard, crunchy pieces; I remembered that it used to have soft pieces, but I thought that I should probably ask before I order. So, I said to the employee, "Hi, are the pieces inside soft or hard?" I also asked if I could try a piece before purchasing the Blizzard to discern whether the pieces were soft or hard. The employee initially said that I could try a sample, which I never ended up getting; she immediately asked me for payment, and failed to provide me with a sample or answer my question about the texture of the pieces. She only told me that the pieces were neither hard nor soft but somewhere in the middle; i am not sure how you could classify something as being in the middle, but I digress. I was even more confused at this point, but I did end up buying the Blizzard and without the sample; it seemed as if she was just trying to get me to shut up, but she could have also inquired with her coworkers regarding her apparent confusion, which she failed to do. Upon reciving the Blizzard, the pieces were hard and crunchy – nowhere near the "middle" that she described between soft and hard. Overall, the Blizzard taste fine, but the hard pieces completely put my tustbuds off. This all could have been avoided, but it seemed like she was in a rush with a near-empty lineup behind me. Such a...

Date of Visit: July 15, 2024

I visited Dairy Queen today and unfortunately had a disappointing experience despite the tasty Blizzards I ordered.

Firstly, Dairy Queen advertises a "Flip Promise" where if they fail to flip your Blizzard upside down before serving it, it should be provided for free. Despite pointing out the sign indicating this policy, the staff did not honor it when they neglected to flip my Blizzards and insisted I call to resolve the issue later, which was inconvenient and did not align with their advertised policy.

Secondly, I observed concerning hygiene practices during my visit. Employees were not wearing hairnets or gloves, which raised significant food safety concerns. Additionally, I witnessed an employee handling food in an unsanitary manner; he used a cloth that had fallen onto the counter to pick up strawberries and then placed them back into a sundae. This experience made me hesitant to continue with my order.

While the food itself was enjoyable, the issues I encountered significantly impacted my overall satisfaction. I hope Dairy Queen addresses these concerns promptly to ensure consistency in service quality and adherence to hygiene standards.

Overall...