DQ China Launch 1st Burger Restaurant in Shanghai

Beloved quality Western fast food brand Dairy Queen (DQ) has launched its first burger restaurant in China, DQ Blizzard & Burgers, located on Wujiang Lu, just off Nanjing Xi Lu and opposite Taikoo Hui.

Over three years in the making, some seriously extensive research has gone into the venture, a joint team from DQ’s Minneapolis headquarters and CFB Group in Shanghai whittling down some 70 burger recipes through eight rounds of taste tests.

The result is a menu of five beef burgers – including a Shanghai-exclusive Spicy Soy Sauce Beef Burger – and one chicken burger, all adhering to a 5:3:2 ‘golden ratio’ of meat, bun and salad, respectively.

The brand uses the highest quality ingredients among chain burger brands, including: 100% Australian Angus grain-fed beef, hand-pressed and freshly grilled; paired with high-butter-content brioche buns from New Zealand; and sweet, tender fresh lettuce.

Unlike many chain burger brands that pursue extremely low prices, DQ Burgers is priced mid-range, striving for the best quality-to-price ratio… with an emphasis on delivering that quality.

Besides the burgers, the menu also includes fried chicken, snacks, and – of course – DQ’s legendary ice creams and milkshakes.

Since 1992, DQ – known for its “blizzard that doesn’t spill even when turned upside down” – has gained immense popularity in the Chinese market.

CFB Group, which manages DQ, Papa John’s, Yu Pupu Canteen, and Jin Yang Ju, has opened 1,300 DQ Ice Cream stores in China.

Globally, DQ – owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway – is renowned not just for its ice cream, but as a burger and ice cream restaurant, with over 4,000 locations in North America, the Middle East… and now, China!

DQ Burgers has also implemented a city-specific flavor strategy, based on what they have learned about regional preferences, reflecting the global brand’s respect for local consumers.

For Shanghai, DQ launched the Shanghai Spicy Soy Sauce Angus Beef Burger as a city-exclusive item, cleverly combining the popular local spicy soy sauce flavor with high-quality Angus beef.

In terms of store design, DQ Burgers has an expanded dining space compared to DQ Ice Cream stores, using the distinctive red and silver DQ colors and embodying the brand spirit of ‘Feel the Fun’ through creative designs.

For example, the store features an upside-down ‘silver cow’ installation…

… DQ (Dairy Queen) depicted as a queen holding a burger in one hand and an upside-down Blizzard in the other…

… and a large game machine where customers can smash 100% Australian Angus beef patties, ingeniously presenting the fun and high-quality product stories.

At the grand opening of DQ Burgers, the brand also launched exclusive merchandise such as canvas bags, mugs, and trendy baseball caps.

These items feature unique designs, extending the queen image and incorporating vibrant colors, successfully creating a series of fashionable, personalized products.

In the future, the brand plans to offer more immersive experiences for young consumers, such as IP-themed pop-up stores and exclusive co-branded merchandise, inviting even more people to participate. 

We look forward to letting you know about more surprises and delights from newly-launched DQ Burgers. In the meantime, head on over to check it out for yourself!

DQ Blizzard & Burgers, 169 Wujiang Lu, by Shimen Yi Lu, Jing’an District 吴江路169号, 近石门一路.

[All images courtesy of DQ Blizzard & Burgers]