Dairy Queen reigns in Indianapolis
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Dairy Queen is the most common ice cream chain across the Indianapolis metro area, with Culver's and Freddy's Frozen Custard as runners-up.
By the numbers: There are 68 Dairy Queens, followed by 29 Culver's and eight Freddy's, according to a new Axios analysis of Yelp data.

The big picture: Dairy Queen is king of the country — it's the most dominant chain in nearly 75% of U.S. counties, suggesting people really like their Blizzards.
James' thought bubble: Dairy Queen is ubiquitous because it's good — and, even though it's a giant chain, the franchisees usually are moms and pops just like the smaller shop owners.
- I got my first job at a Dairy Queen making $3.45 an hour (somehow legal in Michigan at the time). I know all the insider secrets and still like it.
Reality check: Just because one particular chain is the most dominant in a given area doesn't necessarily make it the best.
- And local institutions that only have one or a handful of shops won't crack this kind of ranking.
What's your favorite local ice cream joint? Let us know at [email protected].


