Kream Kastle Drive Inn, a dairy bar off Highway 70, is back and under new management after being closed for almost a year.
BENTON, Ark. — For 60 years, the Kream Kastle Drive Inn was a popular stop on Highway 70 between Benton and Hot Springs.
That changed when it closed in August 2023.
“We were upset,” said Annetta Gilmore, a longtime Kream Kastle customer. “This was our normal stop.”
When one of the original owners passed away, the Kream Kastle stopped selling its burgers, hot dogs and famous milkshakes.
That is, until this summer, when Heather and Ray Queen, owners of the Salem Dairy Bar in Benton, decided to take it over.
“He decided to rent it here not too long ago,” Ray Queen said of the former owner. “We came and yelled at him about it.”
The business deal led to Wednesday’s grand reopening, with longtime customers braving the rain to arrive by 11 a.m.
Gilmore was in the crowd.
“We’re excited,” Gilmore said. “Hopefully we’ll have our good shakes again.”
Some had never been there, but had heard the rumor and wanted to see what it was about.
“We were working there and saw the sign this morning at six o’clock,” said Dennis Johnson of Pine Bluff. “We were moving forward, so we decided to stop here and try it since we are working on the future. We are going to try it all the time.”
Ray Queen said seeing the reactions to Kream Kastle’s reopening has made him even more determined to make it great.
“It’s more the people who are really excited about this place opening,” Ray Queen said. “We’re excited for them because we’re going to do well.”
Kream Kastle is located at 15922 US-70 in Benton for those who want to give it a try. They are open from 11am to 9pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The dairy bar remains open an additional hour on Fridays and Saturdays.
On Sundays, Kream Kastle is open from noon to 8 p.m.; It is closed on Tuesdays.
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