Luke Squiers inspiration for the name of his family's new business is pretty evident locally and fits right in with the product at hand - Butter Cow.
Toledo is home to the famed "Butter Cow Lady," the late Norma "Duffy" Lyon, of Iowa State Fair fame. The Cow-Calf statue erected in her honor is right down the street from the Squiers' business location.
They've added the slogan" A Churn for the Better" to compliment the Butter Cow Ice Cream name and plan to officially open on Monday, April 16.
Article Photos
Luke, Brenda and Malachi Squiers at the family’s new Butter Cow Ice Cream in Toledo on Friday, April 6.
Chronicle photos/John Speer
Luke and Brenda Squiers bought the former Dairy Queen location at 105 E. Business Route 30 in Toledo earlier this year and have been busy cleaning and refurbishing the interior and exterior since.
There's new signs and new drive-through and cash register system. Painting inside and out has been done.
They are combining the best of the old menu with new items including a seven-inch pork tenderloin which Luke promises will be popular. Luke said he has told the staff, "We want people to walk away with good food and a good quantity of it."
Fact Box
Butter Cow Ice Cream
105 East Business Highway 30, Toledo
Open Mon.-Sat- 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Telephone 641-484-5611
Sandwiches, full line ice cream products
Drive-in, eat-in and carry-out orders
Hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches and baskets, fries, onion rings, cheese balls and more will be on the menu.
Instead of "Blizzards" the Butter cow will have "Churns."
Soft-serve ice cream featuring Anderson-Erickson premium mix will be served.
New will be frozen yogurt to be offered in "birthday cake," traditional strawberry and a blend of the flavors.
The popular ice cream cakes will continue to be carried. A new scanning system will allow cakes to be personalized with edible images duplicating photos customers bring in.
The Butter Cow has seating for 50 persons inside, and an outside patio seating area. In addition to drive-up service, call-in orders are welcome at 641-484-5611.
Dawn Lough, Toledo, has been hired to manage the Butter Churn. She was employed at Dairy Queen for seven years before it closed last October.
The business will employ a total of 15 full and part time people, Luke said.
Already the owners of the Outback Campground and Squiers Logging businesses here, Luke says people have been especially supportive of the Butter Cow and he and his family are very appreciative.
Speaking of family, if you look closely at the business signs you'll see "Malachi" - the name of Brenda and Luke's one-year-old son - on the ice cream cones.