Much of what's changed at the Red Barn Dairy Queen Grill & Chill will be more apparent to employees than customers, but there are two things customers should notice: indoor restrooms and faster blizzards.

Jake Asfeld, who runs the Red Barn Dairy Queen along U.S. Highway 10, closed the business temporarily for an interior renovation largely focused on the kitchen. The building was gutted "down to the dirt" inside and has been closed since November for the changes. It was supposed to be done in early 2022, but trouble sourcing materials significantly extended the project timeline, Asfeld said.

However, he's hopeful that the DQ can reopen yet this summer to catch some of that warm-weather traffic.

The interior changes mean the building is more in-line with the footprint Dairy Queen uses for its newer buildings, Asfeld said. The changes are meant to increase efficiency. For instance, the food station and dessert station were flip-flopped, and the kitchen tripled in size.

"A lot of the functions that were happening for the kitchen were happening outside the kitchen because of how tiny it was," Asfeld said. "So now everything should happen in the kitchen."

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The treat station is now set up to be more efficient, with back-to-back counters that allow an employee to simply pivot rather than move back and forth down a long counter to complete an ice cream order.

"Making blizzards, we should be faster now," he said.

And the restrooms, which were on the outside of the building, weren't complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Customers will now be able to use indoor restrooms, as the renovation work included a small addition under the existing roof line on the north side of the building.

Asfeld said the customer seating area will also get a revamp eventually, but right now, he's focused on getting the business open again for customers. He said he's grateful for the patience and support from the community, family and friends during this process. He's heard from a lot of customers on social media that they're ready for the Red Barn Dairy Queen to be open again. Asfeld is, too.