Bit of nostalgia melts in Bellevue

Tears trickled down Callie Weber's cheeks as she licked her chocolate-dipped vanilla ice-cream cone. The 5-year-old, too young to understand the nostalgia bringing long lines to the Bellevue Dairy Queen this week, only knew that her favorite ice-cream store will close permanently Friday.

The building will be torn down next month, along with several others. Construction will begin in July on a twin-tower office complex on the 5-acre site, known as the Bravern.

The announcement of the closure came as no surprise to Gene Morley, who purchased the franchise in 1981 — 20 years after the venerable ice creamery opened in the heart of downtown.

Morley has lived with a month-to-month lease for nearly a decade as two different owners planned development of the 8-acre superblock just west of Interstate 405.

This week, a steady stream of customers such as Callie, her 3-year-old sister, Meghan, and her mother, Liz Weber of Bellevue, have been coming by for one last taste.

The shopworn store on the southwest corner of Northeast Eighth Street and 112th Avenue Northeast isn't the oldest or the fanciest DQ. But lifelong fans remain loyal.

Gretchen Davidson of Clyde Hill said she used to drive from Seattle to the Bellevue DQ because it had the best burgers and Blizzards. Wednesday she and her husband, Lee, enjoyed a farewell shrimp basket, cheeseburger and Butterfinger Blizzard.

"One reason we moved to Clyde Hill was for the Dairy Queen," she said. "All us baby boomers love this place because we grew up with it."

Morley barely had time to say more than "thank you" to the good-luck wishes.

He and his staff worked through a long line of customers waiting for a farewell hot dog or hot-fudge sundae.

Earlier this week, he ordered extra food and supplies to feed the nostalgia demand.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com