For regulars of the State Line Dairy Queen, two weeks of temporary closing time while the restaurant moved locations was two weeks too long.
When the brand new doors opened last Friday at 3145 S. 11th St., some customers sought to make up for lost time.
“We had one regular come Friday, Saturday and Sunday because they were catching up for when we were closed,” said co-owner David Easterbrook.
David and his wife, Holly,  both of South Bend, have owned the restaurant for three years.
Since August 2016, the couple has been working on building a bigger and better State Line Dairy Queen just a few feet south from the restaurant’s former location.
Construction may have taken a little longer than planned, with the original open date set in October, but the wait could be well worth it.
Offering more than 70 seats, a free style Coke machine, power outlets at almost every table and wide spacious booths, the new location has already been revered by new and regular customers alike, David and Holly said.
“I have noticed that people will come in and stay and talk,” Holly said, from a table inside the restaurant on Tuesday.
A crowd of about a dozen passed through the new doors to decide on an ice cream treat.  At one of the new booths, a family sat enjoying lunch and ice cream.
Creating more space for customers to relax and enjoy their meal was the biggest reason for swapping locations while keeping the State Line brand they are known for, David said.
Since 1964, the Dairy Queen on S. 11th St. has been a landmark  bordering the  Indiana-Michigan state line. When the property just next door, the location of the former Fort Auto Sales building became available, the Easterbrooks jumped at the chance.
“We lucked out,” Holly said from a table at the new restaurant on Tuesday afternoon. “They [customers] love it. They say that the new space looks very nice.”
The space is also beneficial for employees, allowing them more cooking room. All the original employees were transferred to the new location and 10 new part-time employees were hired.
Holly, who was born and raised in Niles, said she and David liked what the franchise had to offer to families in the area.
“Dairy Queen is a tried and true business,” Holly said.
With more space there is more room for ideas. The couple has thought of having new events at the restaurant, including give-back nights for nonprofits. They have also tossed around the idea of inviting customers to bring their dogs in the summer, when the outside patio is available.
As for the former Dairy Queen building, the Easterbrooks are not quite sure what they will do with the property they own at this time.
Despite the months of cold weather ahead, David advised those who like Diary Queen to try the hot desserts, including the triple fudge brownie.