TALK OF THE TOWN - DAIRY CONE

from Columbus, Texas Spring/Summer 2022

JUST FOR KIDS - CHILD CARE FACILITIES

Since 1950, Dairy Cone has been a Columbus icon – that’s 72 years

in the making! It has functioned at two previous locations before settling at 836 Walnut Street, where current owner Tommy Hahn boasts is its final home with plenty of room to accommodate their customers-a-plenty. How many small-town burger joints can measure up to The Cone’s time-tasted legacy? You’ll have to decide for yourself!

Current ownership has invested in The Cone legacy. Tommy supervised Dairy Queen stores before he and his wife, Barbara, purchased the Dairy Cone business in 1974. Tommy’s father, Clarence Hahn, was the Dairy Cone manager at the time, and in total for 26 years. When the previous owners voiced their interest in selling, his father knew they had to keep the business in the family – so Clarence reached out to his son. Tommy and his wife ended up purchasing the business, and ran it together until Barbara’s death in 2009. Tommy continues to run The Cone, and has done so for 48 years altogether. However, that’s just the tip of the ice-cream cone as far as the Dairy Cone owner’s involvement with the local community.

Mr. Tommy Hahn served as County Commissioner, working for the county for 24 years. He also served as a volunteer firefighter for 27 years, coached Little League teams, and was an involved father to his three sons as they grew up. Now he’s “Big Paw” to six grandkids and loves every minute of it.

All of his local service and family-man values reflect his genuine heart for people, which shows in the way he runs his business: developing personal relationships with employees and customers alike.

Above, the man behind the mission, Dairy Cone owner, Tommy Hahn; middle, Dairy Cone offers traditional drivein foods like thick cut fries, juicy hamburgers with fresh ingredients, and classic malts and ice cream sundaes all made with Blue Bell; left, Dairy Cone is located at 836 Walnut Street.

“This is your hometown burger place. I like that people come here after Friday night football games and sporting events. I like that we’ve always been home town. If the mayor calls, we do our best to try to produce something for the people that need us. Anybody in uniform that’s a first responder eats free. If the fire department has a big call and we’re here, we cook. I think that goes back to my dad and even the Dairy Cone owners before, that’s just something that the calling has been here – if you need it, we’re here.”

As he spoke of his employees, he stated, “Employees end up being like family. I have a picture frame in the restaurant of the football playoffs of my kids, and employees would bring me pictures of their children to put up. I can show you most of those kids came back through as employees of ours.” Tommy reminisced, “They come in as teenagers and they work for us, go to college, and a lot of them still come back during the summer to work. I guess they will say it’s the mom-and-pop thing. Yep, that’s us.”

His longest currently employed team member is Dairy Cone manager, Karen Broussard, who came on at the age of 13 and never left. She learned The Cone way of freshly grinding and pressing hamburger patties daily 40 years ago under the training of Tommy’s father, Clarence, when he was still the manager. Karen is the personification of how the Dairy Cone legacy has been passed from employee to employee, family to family, tying everyone together. In the spirit of passing on The Cone tradition, Karen’s daughter, Ivah, now works under her management. “So employment here really is a family thing – I used to rock Ivah as a baby, and now she’s working here with her mom,” Tommy endearingly recalled.

In addition to providing a family-centered, stable place to work for members of the community, Tommy takes pride in the Dairy Cone being a place people can always count on in times of need.

“We have stayed open during the floods. We have delivered food to people who couldn’t get here. When the ice and the snow came last year, we did the same thing. We had people call, home bound with no electricity. And fortunately, we were still open and could feed them a hot meal. We produced food for the hospital when they went down. When Hurricane Rita came through, we had people – my goodness – we had cars parked up and down the interstate! They were either broke down or ran out of gas. We did our very best to keep feeding people, whatever we could do.” Tommy said, humbly. “So wow, we have stayed open through floods, snow and ice and hurricanes… the whole thing.”

During 2020 when people were looking for places to go on the weekends to get out of the house, Dairy Cone became somewhat of a safe haven for big city out-of-towners looking for an escape. The Cone never had to close since it has no dining room, so folks began pouring in to discover this little small town burger place on Yelp that grinds fresh daily. “People found us and now they know where we’re at. And we have steadily progressed. I mean, we’re still growing, 72 years later!” Tommy proclaimed. When asked to sum up what Dairy Cone represents, Tommy replied “Just simply, we’ve been here a long time. It’s the people that have made us, so to speak. It’s been a combined effort: we will take care of Columbus, and Columbus is always taking care of us. No doubt.”

No doubt, it’s local spots like Dairy Cone that make towns like Columbus a great place to be.

Dairy Cone manager, Karen Broussard, in the background, with daughter, Ivah, in the foreground. They are rolling out and pressing freshly ground hamburger patties for the day – an old-school, passed-down tradition at The Cone. “Ground fresh daily,” isn’t just a slogan, it’s what Dairy Cone is known for.

Local Lender specializing in VA, FHA, USDA, Conventional, and Renovation Loans Low Down Payments • Double Wides Refinancing • Cash Out • 30-Year Fixed Rates

AVAILABLE WEEKNIGHTS AND WEEKENDS

Denise Krc

Loan Officer

NMLS# 2270536 (979) 733-3358 D.Krc@FinanceHomeAmerica.com

Where rustic charm meets casual elegance …

Nestled between ancient Live Oak trees with sweeping prairie views, this lovingly restored, authentic 1900s Texas dance hall is the perfect venue for your wedding. Call or visit our website for more information. www.schneiderhall.com • 210-422-4864 schneiderdancehall@gmail.com

TAKE ROOT

“plants and flowers for all occasions”

Stacy Renner, owner - Horticulturist & Florist GARDEN SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIES FERTILIZER MULCH SEASONAL HOURS 180 Oak Cluster Dr, Columbus | Call/Text 979-942-6590 | Takeroot18@yahoo.com

One stop before your fishing spot!

LIVE BAIT - minnows, worms, fishing supplies and tackle.

COLD BEER, soda, snacks, ice, Hunt Brothers Pizza and much more!

A Brighter Day

Child Care Center

• Licensed Child Care Facility • Ages Birth to 13 Years Old • After School Care Comprehensive Lesson Plans • Open Year Round Before and After School Transportation Provided