A Dairy Queen in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, has captured attention online after a sign displayed in its front window went viral. The sign declares that the restaurant is “politically incorrect,” stating that staff openly say “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Easter,” and “God Bless America,” among other greetings, as reported by WDJT. It also mentions the restaurant salutes the flag, expresses gratitude to the troops, and provides free sundaes to veterans on Veterans Day.
Franchise owner Kevin Scheunemann explained his reasoning for hanging the sign nearly four years ago, which stemmed from a customer complaint about Christian music playing in the restaurant. Scheunemann believed the sign appropriately reflected the values he and his staff support, noting, “It just seems that those kinds of values and principles are becoming controversial in society.”
Although the sign has been up for years without incident, it gained widespread attention after a guest from Oregon shared a photo of it on Facebook, expressing concern about its message. The post quickly went viral, generating strong reactions before being deleted, according to KIRO. One commenter expressed relief that the post was removed, criticizing the personal attacks directed at the individual who shared the picture. The commenter noted, “There are some people agreeing with the sign (and that’s okay), but at the same time are making personal attacks towards the person who shared the picture and voiced her opinion (which is definitely not okay).”
Despite the controversy, many local residents and business owners support Scheunemann’s decision. April Serwe, who owns a local bar, said it’s up to the customers to decide whether they want to enter the establishment. “He posted it on the door so you see it before you walk in,” Serwe stated. Another local, Liz Torrison, downplayed any potential issues, saying, “In this small community, I don’t think it’s a problem. We’re all just liking each other and having fun.”
In response to the viral attention, Dairy Queen’s corporate office distanced itself from the sign, clarifying that it represents only the views of Scheunemann. “This sign expresses the views of this independent owner only and does not speak for ADQ Corporation or any of our other independent franchise owners,” the company said in a statement. Dairy Queen emphasized that all customers should be treated with “the utmost dignity and respect,” stressing that anything less would not be tolerated.
