Growing up, Andy and Deena Halleck never dreamt they would own an ice cream shop, but now they are the newest owners of the Bowling Green Dairy Queen. 

Deena started life in South Carolina; Andy in Bowling Green. While he stayed in his home town, she had moved first to the Philippines with her Air Force father at seven and to Turkey five years later. Finally a year later she ended up in Ohio to begin her eighth- grade year. 

Andy and Deena both attended Bowling Green High School and fell in love during their freshman year. 

“We couldn’t see past each other,” they said. 

After high school Andy moved to Florida; Deena stayed behind, but not for long.

When Andy came back and asked her to move. She dropped everything. 

A short time in Florida turned into living in California. With their first child on the way, the couple decided moving back to Ohio would make for a safer place to raise a family. 

Twenty-one -years of marriage and three more kids later, Andy and ​Deena​ became the new owners of the local Dairy Queen. 

The store became Myles Dairy Queen when Chip Myles bought it in July 1971. It was bought by Mario Kiezi in 2015.

“I never knew it was for sale, had I known it was for sale I would have bought it,” Andy said. 

Finding out that Myles had sold it, Andy approached Kiezi with an offer. Kiezi was not looking to sell, but the offer was good enough for him to let go of the bushiness. 

“I was aggressive with my offers, and I made him a large enough offer that he took it,” Andy said.

Buying the Dairy Queen was not a guessing game for Andy. He is an entrepreneur by trade and has been honing his business skills for over 40 years. He also owns a used car lot and a drive thru across from Kroger and multiple commercial buildings including Uptown/Downtown, Liquid and Howards.

“I played DQ baseball, and pee wee baseball, I’ve been going there for almost my whole life,” Andy said. I’ve probably driven through that parking lot at least a thousand times. As a 16, 17, 18–year–old kid it was just where you went on a Friday or Saturday night.” 

The community response to the new owners has been overwhelmingly positive in their three months of ownership. 

“I’ll be working the grill and each day a new person will come up and say ‘Hey Deena, I’m glad to see you and Andy own this place now,” Deena said. 

Chip Myles said he has known Andy since he was a kid and thinks he will do very well with the business. 

While Andy owns the business, Deena is the one that oversees the daily operation. 

“It’s a lot and in the beginning I was overwhelmed. I was just so happy once I got past the week that I didn’t forget something major,” she said. 

The couple said they were surprised at the amount of work it takes to run an ice cream shop after they were handed the keys. 

The shop opens at 11 a.m. for business, but she is in the door a full four hours before opening to stock items, turn machines on, prepare food items and work with the staff to start the day. 

They have no plans to change the menu outside of rotating monthly items, including the array of other food items. 

“The community likes the way the food is right now. We’re not going to change portions, type of products. We’re sticking with what works,” Andy said. 

That standard is kept in place with the help of University students. Most of the staff is college students that work during school and stay in town during the summer months. 

Deena said she feels it takes a village to run the shop, and she is very pleased with her village.

Reflecting on the chapters of their lives leading up to now, Andy and Deena said “it’s not been without struggle.” Starting with small business Andy had to work his way up, beginning with vending machines and moving to towing and car lots, there used to be a lot of pressure for income. 

“I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2001, and have made it through some very rough times.” Andy said. 

Andy had worked his way up from small businesses till the most recent recession hit, but in the last four years has managed to turn things back around. 

“We started from less than nothing,” Andy started, “and we appreciate every single day and never take any of it for granted” Deena finished. 

From different states and countries, through difficult times and multiple businesses, Andy and Deena agree that the journey has been worth it. 

Andy sees the DQ as a nice place to rest saying “This is it, all I’ve wanted is the Dairy Queen.” Though he still wants to own other commercial properties on the side. 

“Every time we’ve sold a business, I always knew we’d be moving on to a next one. But at this time I feel whole . . . Chip Myles had it for years and years and it’s our plan to have it for years and years and maintain a high standard of quality,” Andy said.