Dairy King

When I saw its bright neon lights and red-and-white checkered facade, I thought that this retro building at the end of Main Street in Commerce, Oklahoma, looked like it belonged on the set of Happy Days.

Inside, different sets of diners sat at three of the four Formica-topped tables to my left; a mom and her two children enjoying ice cream, a uniformed young man on his lunch break from work, and a older man who seemed as though he’d been coming here for decades.

To my right, a small, boxy television (practically retro itself now) sat atop a counter, playing an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. The nostalgic atmosphere of this diner was so pervasive that I felt compelled to order a banana split – something that I hadn’t eaten in decades.

Things got a bit funny after my banana split arrived. Before I started eating, I picked up my camera and started taking photos of the banana split. As I was clicking away, I heard this conversation between the older man and the owner of the diner:

Treva, you got a camera?

No. Why do you need a camera?

I’ve got to take a picture of this lady taking a picture of her food.

Apparently, my odd behavior was more entertaining than the episode of The Andy Griffith Show.

I explained to everyone in earshot (which was everyone) that I was writing an article about Route 66 and documenting my experience with photos.

Once the owners heard that, they came over and introduced themselves to me. I spent the next few hours learning everything I’d ever need to know about Commerce, Oklahoma, and this retro eatery called Dairy King.

Charles Duboise and his mother Treva are the current owners of Dairy King, and they enjoy meeting people from all over the world who stop by to get a bite to eat as they travel down Route 66.

Be sure to bring cash when you visit, as no checks or credit cards are accepted.

The restaurant today serves burgers and ice cream, as well as its famous Route 66 cookies, which Charles designed, trademarked, and continues to make by hand daily. These cookies are shipped all over the world, and people make special trips to Dairy King just to get these cookies.

But long before offering cookies, ice cream, and burgers, this building functioned as a gas station. It was a Marathon station built in 1927 by Roy Cowherd and owned by Jim Mullen.

In the 1930s, it was bought by Loren and Grace Broyles, who added soft serve in 1951. During this time, it functioned as a Tydol station.

Here’s an old oil bottle that Charles found in the attic.

The business changed hands again before Treva and Kenneth Duboise purchased it in 1980. After his father’s death, Charles decided to partner with his mother to run Dairy King.

Charles is a walking encyclopedia of Commerce history. He showed me several old photographs of Dairy King (which I included above) and the town of Commerce, plus offered details about the town that I never would have found out through my own research.

For instance, Charles told me that the Hole in the Wall Conoco filling station across the street from Dairy King was never an actual filling station; after an accident that caused most of the last building on the block to crumble, someone used a portion of the remnants to shape the Hole in the Wall Conoco. I didn’t find any history about the Hole in the Wall Conoco in my research, so I guess I’ll defer to Charles on this one.

Regardless of its history, the Hole in the Wall Conoco certainly makes a fun photo op for Mother Road enthusiasts.

If you want to know more things that Charles told me about Commerce (including a story about a Bonnie and Clyde incident), click here. If you want to know more about Charles himself, keep reading.

Besides creating his famous Route 66 cookies (the first mold for which he crafted by hand), Charles is a bit of a running celebrity. In fact, he’s known as the Running Man of Commerce, Oklahoma.

In 1991, when Charles weighed 320 pounds, he decided to change his lifestyle and began running on a treadmill every day. Since that time, he has successfully stuck to this fitness plan, missing only one day (but doubling up on another day in order to make up for it, of course).

Why did he miss that one day? Because he was appearing on Oprah to talk about his running, and the fact that it helped him to lose 180 pounds. He has now clocked over 70,000 miles since that first day in 1991, and has managed to maintain his weight (although Treva chimed in that she wished he’d gain a few pounds – just like any mother would say).

Meeting Charles and Treva was as much of a treat as enjoying my decadent banana split; their dedication to preserving their historic building and the joy they exude when meeting new customers makes stopping at Dairy King a classic Route 66 experience.

Dairy King is located at 100 N. Main Street in Commerce, Oklahoma. Call (918) 675-4261 for more information.

Find other great places to eat in the area by clicking here.

WANT MORE? 

Get the latest information on what to see and do in the area by following Joplin MO Life on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and on Facebook, or sign up for the newsletter at the top part of this post.

This article was commissioned by the Joplin CVB, however the opinions expressed are purely my own. The purpose of Joplin MO Life is to highlight all the best that our area has to offer, and when an article is written about a restaurant, business, attraction, or event, it is because I have had an enjoyable experience and want to share it with others.

Click here to visit the Joplin CVB’s Facebook page.

---

Living Life to The Fullest!

I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.

I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.