According to public filings, Smith Dairy Queens could be returning to the Highway 21 corridor in Bryan with a brand-new location. The new restaurant is planned for 2400 E. State Hwy. 21 and would feature a drive-thru, patio, and associated site improvements. The project calls for new construction spanning approximately 1,947 square feet.
What Now Austin reached out to Jon Stoops, Director of Operations, who shared that construction has not yet begun and an opening timeline has not been confirmed. However, construction documents indicate a target completion date of December 2026.
The move comes after Smith Dairy Queens closed its previous Highway 21 location earlier this year. Stoops confirmed the company shuttered the nearby restaurant and is now relocating to the new address along the same corridor the brand has long served.
The Bryan restaurant would bring Smith Dairy Queens to a total of 39 locations, all concentrated in Central Texas. Stoops said the company has no current plans to expand beyond that count.
Smith Dairy Queens traces its roots to 1947, when Omar Smith opened a small counter-service café near Texas A&M University. By 1950, he had built five Dairy Queen restaurants, laying the foundation for what would become one of the largest single-family-owned Dairy Queen operators in Texas. The company is now in its third generation of family ownership.
