1851

It only took one lunch and a well-timed commercial for Damon Draught and William Dailey to make a business decision that would impact the rest of their lives. In the summer of 2016, the two Army buddies met for a quick bite in Rhode Island. They decided to take advantage of being in the same state, a rare occasion since returning home after serving together in Afghanistan for a full year. &nbsp;A <a href="https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Company/Franchise-With-Us/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=two-army-veterans-join-together-in-franchise-ownership-2704877" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dairy Queen</a>&reg; commercial aired during lunch and the two of them got to talking about their next business opportunity, opening a DQ Grill &amp; Chill location in Rhode Island.

Draught was already familiar with the <a href="https://dairyqueen.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=two-army-veterans-join-together-in-franchise-ownership-2704877" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dairy Queen</a> model, with two units in New York. He opened his firstDQ&reg;/Orange Julius&reg; location in Watertown, New York in December 2013 and a second store, this one a DQ Grill &amp; Chill restaurant, in November of 2015 in Evans Mills, New York.

&ldquo;My military training helped me a lot with my first two units, specifically learning how to be a team player,&rdquo; said Draught. &ldquo;Every Blizzard&reg; Treat should be the same, no matter what DQ location you go to in the world, so it&rsquo;s important to follow how that Blizzard Treat should be made. It&rsquo;s important to lead your managers and crew members to learn the right methods and keep everything consistent.&rdquo;

Draught and Dailey received almost identical military training when serving together for a year, during what the Army calls a &ldquo;Complete Life Cycle.&rdquo; The duo began their combined training with a three-week session at Fort Drum, before traveling back to the Garrison on Fort Drum and went on to do a four-week deployment at Fort Polk. A month after training, both Draught and Dailey were deployed to Afghanistan.

At that crucial lunch once they were back in the states, Draught and Dailey noticed that Rhode Island did not have as many Dairy Queen locations to choose from. In fact, there was only one Dairy Queen restaurant in the entire state, a DQ/Orange Julius location in Providence Place Mall, leaving a lot of opportunity to spearhead growth throughout the state.

&ldquo;After that lunch, we continued to talk about opening a DQ Grill &amp; Chill restaurant in Rhode Island because of the population size in the area, and the fact that there were no other options in the state,&rdquo; said Draught. &ldquo;We requested the FDD so that Will could become more familiar with the concept. We also traveled to a couple of different locations, including both of my stores in Watertown, New York.&rdquo;

After doing due diligence on the market options with a site survey and utilizing population data, Draught and Dailey decided on a location at the corner of Atwood and Phoenix in Cranston, Rhode Island for their DQ Grill &amp; Chill location. The business partners are currently in the process of hiring a full-time manager, two full-time assistant managers and day-to-day employees. In total, they plan to add nearly 115 jobs to the market to operate the 72-seat restaurant and drive-thru window.

&ldquo;The Dairy Queen concept will always stand out as a brand because the franchise has been around for such a long time,&rdquo; said Draught. &ldquo;My advice to all veterans is to start with the FDD report, for any franchise, and work with their financial and legal advisors to develop a business plan. The Dairy Queen brand has been great to get involved with as a veteran and we are so excited to get up and running in Rhode Island.&rdquo;

For more information about Dairy Queen franchising visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Company/Franchise-With-Us/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=two-army-veterans-join-together-in-franchise-ownership-2704877" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Company/Franchise-With-Us/</a>.&nbsp;

Two Army Veterans Join Together in Franchise Ownership

1851 Franchise

Damon Draught and William Dailey open Rhode Island’s first DQ Grill & Chill® after a year of serving together in Afghanistan

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

two-army-veterans-join-together-in-franchise-ownership

Mosquito Squad Plus

How This Marine Corps Veteran Found Freedom and Purpose With Mosquito Squad

how-this-marine-corps-veteran-found-freedom-and-purpose-with-mosquito-squad

Spadea Lignana Franchise Attorneys

How The DeFelice Brothers Turned a $10,000 Loan Into an Award-Winning Franchise With Help From Spadea Lignana

how-the-defelice-brothers-turned-a-10000-loan-into-an-award-winning-franchise-with-help-from-spadea-lignana

Caring Transitions

How This Gilbert Entrepreneur Found Purpose Helping Families Through Life’s Transitions

how-this-gilbert-entrepreneur-found-purpose-helping-families-through-lifes-transitions

USA Ninja Challenge

Where Passion Meets Purpose: USA Ninja Challenge Gives Franchisees the Power to Change Lives

where-passion-meets-purpose-usa-ninja-challenge-gives-franchisees-the-power-to-change-lives

SweatHouz

From Finance to Wellness: Natalie Siewers’ Path to Leading SweatHouz in Northern Virginia

sweathouz-franchise-northern-virginia-natalie-siewers

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight with photo of Mike Rippey and Sola Salons logo

How This Former Franchisor Is Using His Industry Experience To Help Beauty Pros Thrive With Sola Salons Franchise

mike-rippey-sola-salons-franchisee

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Two Army Veterans Join Together in Franchise Ownership

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS