About | Dairy Keen

From our Family to Yours

Since 1946, our family has been serving your family. Today, four generations of our family work diligently each day to create a fun-filled family atmosphere where quality food and family can come together. We hope your experience at the Home of the Train is a memorable one.

In 1946, the Mawhinneys decided to go into business in Heber City by starting a motel. Along with that motel, they owned some property that they leased out to the Schribners. The Schribners owned a Dairy Queen, but they were going through difficult times, so they decided to sell it.

The Mawhinneys bought the building, since it was on their land, hoping to sell them together. Having no immediate buyers, they needed to make some money to pay the bills, so they decided to also open a fast food restaurant. The only problem was what to name it.

Since they were short on money, they couldn’t buy an expensive sign and franchise. The cheapest way was to alter the Dairy Queen sign they already had. The most logical way to change the sign was to remove the ‘QU’ and replace it with a ‘K’. Ever since then, the restaurant has been known as the Dairy Keen.

In 1998, after seven previous renovations, the building was getting old and business was out growing the small building, so they decided to rebuild. With the rebuild, they thought a new name would be appropriate so it was renamed: “Dairy Keen – Home of the Train.”