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Free ice cream for life is one helluva post-retirement perk for Mark Bernath.
"I have a sweeth tooth, so I'll be back, probably for my favourite cotton candy Blizzard," said Mark.
You see, Mark has sold the Dairy Queen at Mission Creek Shopping Centre to multiple-DQ-franchise owner Gurwinder Singh.
"As part of the deal, Gurwinder says I have free ice cream for life," said Mark with a laugh.
The Dairy Queen at 3141 Lakeshore Rd. has been in the Bernath family for 47 years, so the sale is truly a passing of the torch.
Mark's mom and dad, Ken and Marg Bernath, bought the fledgling franchise in 1975.
Mark was 11 at the time and immediately started to help out on breaks from school.
"I've eaten, lived and breathed DQ for 47 years," said Bernath with another chuckle.
"In the beginning, DQ was more of a business opportunity, but, of course, over time it became a big, big part of our lives."
Mark started taking over the restaurant in 1997 and bought it with business partner Phil Hershfield in 2009.
Over the years, Mark's sisters, Karen Bernath and Donna Greer, and their kids have worked in the business.
Of Mark's three kids, one son worked at DQ during university, but otherwise all three have their own careers and weren't into taking over the restaurant.
No family interest and a labour shortage making it hard to find and keep staff led Mark to seek a buyer and move on to retirement.
Mark's life partner, Deborah Laslop, who's worked at the DQ location for 20 years will stay on as general manager for a month after the Aug. 31 change of ownership to help with the transition.
New owner Gerwinder Singh also has a DQ on Vancouver Island and another in the Lower Mainland and is looking at acquiring more in BC.
"What I'm going to miss most is the customers, the people on the other side of the counter who made this business what it was for 47 years," said Mark.
Come Sept. 1, Mark's biggest priority is rest and relaxation while he figures out his next move.
"We'll stay in Kelowna for now, do some travelling and maybe, in the future, move someplace smaller," he said.
The first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet, Illinois in 1940 with the revolutionary, new soft serve ice cream as the star.
That soft serve has remained the core of the business for over 80 years showing up on the cone with the curl on top, in sundaes, Dilly Bars, Buster Bars, milkshakes, frozen cakes, the No. 1 bestseller Blizzard and Treatzza Pizza.
With a 'Grill & Chill' concept, Dairy Queen is also into burgers, fries, chicken strips and onion rings.
International Dairy Queen, based in Minneapolis, has 7,000 locations globally and is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which is owned by legendary investor Warren Buffett.
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