ABOVE: Lisa De Boer, Scott Vaubel and Andrew Vaubel stand before the Dairy Queen establishment in Fairmont. De Boer is set to claim ownership officially on Thursday, May 1.

FAIRMONT — Here’s the ‘scoop’. The local Dairy Queen will continue scooping ice cream for customers with the help of a new leader. Current owner Scott Vaubel is set to pass the restaurant’s reins to Lisa De Boer on Thursday, May 1, after a strong five years of operation in Fairmont.

“I’ve made some great friendships,” Vaubel recalled his work experience at Dairy Queen and explained that many improvements have been made.

“Sales have tripled. We expanded cake options, opened online ordering and DoorDash and [we] have been open more. A lot has changed.”

For 26 years and one month, Vaubel has had a Dairy Queen franchisee but has been involved with the company for 32 years as an employee and manager. He thinks the business will continue to thrive under the new leadership.

“I very much think the business is in good hands. A lot of businesses lose a local connection, but Lisa has a lifetime connection to the area. She’s local and involved in the community. She’ll be very good for this store.”

He shared that the team at Dairy Queen has been supportive, and he’ll miss customers and employees alike. His love for each aspect of the company is what cemented his long-time journey with the Dairy Queen restaurants.

“I enjoy the people, the work and the company. I’ll miss the customers, but not the paperwork. I think they’ll miss my singing [Dairy Queen jingle]. After this, it’ll feel like, ‘Holy crap, now what do I do?'” Vaubel said with a laugh. “A lot of the staff here have been with me since day one. They’ll help with the transition to Lisa.”

As owner-to-be, De Boer is looking forward to working with the team and providing treats and meals to the community.

“I’m excited. I’ll see a lot of familiar faces,” she said. “I think it’ll be looking forward to the busy season. Our team is good, and right now we’re in the process of training some new employees.”

De Boer noted that new features may be added in the future, such as exterior plants, a fire pit, relaxing chairs and new registers. However, she explained that everything is uncertain.

“It’ll take time to get familiar with everything and go from there. We’ll go forward and see what changes we would like to add,” she said.

The Dairy Queen staff has expressed their farewells to Vaubel by customizing the outdoor sign, which at the time of writing, reads ‘Enjoy retirement, Scott. I’ll miss you.’ Vaubel explained that he will be assisting the team during prom weekend for area schools, as customer quantity is expected to grow. After that, he will move on to other things such as assisting with the Milwaukee Road Heritage Center museum in Montevideo, his seven dogs, and traveling with his wife, who works as a travel nurse. His son Andrew will continue working at Dairy Queen. Vaubel agreed that he has wonderful expectations for Dairy Queen and De Boer.

“I think the business will grow under her lead,” he said.

The Dairy Queen of Fairmont is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Sunday, and is located at 1326 East Blue Earth Avenue in Fairmont. Presently, the establishment is hiring for managers and crew members. Interested individuals can locate more information by visiting the store or contacting (507) 235-5005.