Leon Williams Contractors & Fourteen Foods

Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville-based commercial design-build firm, has finished construction on the new DQ Grill & Chill, owned and operated by Dairy Queen’s largest franchisee, Fourteen Foods, opened Wednesday, January 11.
Bringing Dairy Queen back to the area, Fourteen Foods has put a heavy-emphasis on a fast-casual restaurant model, the DQ Grill & Chill, to create the perfect destination for any special occasion or family outing.
“Maryville is a strong community and we’re proud to be able to bring DQ back,” said Will Connell, community marketing manager for Fourteen Foods. “Everyone who remembers going to Dairy Queen has their own DQ story, and now families in the area will be able to make new memories while enjoying DQ classics like Dip Cones, Dilly Bars and Blizzards®, along with several unique menu items you can’t get anywhere else.”
Construction began on the new store, located at 1724 W. Broadway in Maryville, back in September, with Leon Williams Contractors working from the ground up on the new 3,200 square foot building.
“When we’re trying to build multiple stores, it’s great to have a general contractor who takes responsibility and just gets the job done,” said Steve Giorgi, construction manager for Fourteen Foods. “Working with Leon Williams Contractors on this project has been seamless, and we’re glad to have such a reliable, local contractor working on the project.”
“This was a great project for us,” said Jimmy Hawkins, president of Leon Williams Contractors. “I grew up going to Dairy Queen, so this was a nice trip down memory lane. The store itself is larger than the older-style locations, and features a new design. I’m happy we got the opportunity to work with Fourteen Foods on this store, and can’t wait to see it open.”
The new DQ Grill & Chill is located at 1724 West Broadway in Maryville, Tennessee, opened bright and early at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, January 11. The first 100 customers who arrived received free Blizzards for a year.
About Fourteen Foods
Fourteen Foods is a multi-unit owner and operator of 188 DQ Grill & Chill® restaurants and Dairy Queen Braziers in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Since 2002, Fourteen Foods’ recipe for success has been simple, a combination of restaurant excellent teams, raving fans, and a commitment to their communities. They believe deeply in the importance of their mission to “build people and profits, one smile and a story at a time.” For more information about Fourteen Foods, visit https://fourteenfoods.com/ or call 952-944-1304.  
About IDQ
International Dairy Queen Inc., (IDQ), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation. Through its subsidiaries, IDQ develops, licenses and services a system of more than 6,700 locations in the United States, Canada and more than 25 other countries. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire. For more information about the Dairy Queen system, visit https://dairyqueen.com. 
About Leon Williams Contractors
An experienced commercial design-build firm, Leon Williams Contractors simplifies the building process by effectively managing costs, adhering to deadlines and reducing complications to provide a seamless building experience. With more than 40 years as a value-engineering expert, Leon Williams Contractors offers a complete range of services including pre-construction consultation, site assessment, design-build expertise and construction management in the greater Knoxville, Tenn. area. For more information, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call 865-982-1734.