News

Dairi-O revives plans for a restaurant here

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 7, 2022

Dairi-O, the Winston-Salem-based hot dog, burger and milkshake specialist, has revived its three-year-old plan to open a restaurant on Upward Road, its first in Western North Carolina.

The company won city zoning approval for the project in early 2020 — three months before the pandemic began — and construction has been on hold since then. The City Council on Thursday authorized water and sewer service for the  property, which is the triangle formed by Upward Road, Old Spartanburg Highway and Old Upward Road in front of East Henderson High School.

Dairi-O, which originated in King in 1947 and operates nine locations in the Piedmont, is known for its hot dogs and milkshakes and serves many other sandwiches, soups and sweets. The Hendersonville location would be its first in Western North Carolina. A second one west of I-77, in Lenoir, is coming soon, Dairi-O says on its website.

The company bought the five parcels that make up the entire tract in 2017 for $937,000, tax records show.
Dairi-O serves hand-dipped and soft serve ice cream, milkshakes, ice cream floats, flurries and sundaes, hot dogs (with 18 toppings), hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and chicken Souvlaki, wings, six fresh salads, four home-made soups (chicken and rice, tomato basil, bean and bacon and chili bean) and eight sides. If that’s not enough, Dairi-O also serves fish, barbecue, chuckwagon and grilled cheese sandwiches and a BLT, plus four more desserts: banana split, hot fudge cake, hot fudge nut brownie and strawberry shortcake. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.