Published March 23, 2025 | Updated July 18, 2026

Dairy Chef is the soft serve go-to choice for many Elkhorn residents and even some from points east in Omaha. That’s not to mention its food, which also ranks right up there.

The beloved little ice cream shop started its life as Dairy Sweet, a Midwest chain that started in Ankeny, Iowa, around 1952. The first advertisement I find for Dairy Sweet in the Omaha World-Herald archives is from 1954. In it, the chain offered the “greatest money-making opportunity in the soft service ice cream field.” It went on to say that there were no royalties to pay, a low investment, a training and advertising program provided in addition to complete installation, equipment included along with pre-fab buildings, all financed under one easy payment plan.

The pre-fab kit buildings, in particular, allowed local operators to quickly open their ice cream and hamburger stands. The plan worked and within two years, Dairy Sweet claimed to have opened more soft serve ice cream stores than any other chain in the state. By 1959 there were more than 200 franchise locations in Iowa alone. From there it expanded into neighboring states including Nebraska and Missouri.

Locations were established in towns such as Adair, Lamont, Mount Ayr, Woodbine, Nashua, and Council Bluffs in Iowa, as well as Crawford, Weeping Water, Wahoo, Auburn, Fort Calhoun, Fremont, Gretna, and of course, Elkhorn in Nebraska. The Elkhorn location at 3223 N. 204th Street appears to have opened around 1969, at a time when the town’s population was just around 1,200, well before it exploded in the late 1990s. By this time there were similar ice cream shops in virtually every small town in Nebraska.

While much of the early history of this particular location remains a mystery to me, it appears to have operated under the Dairy Sweet name until around 1982, if not earlier. The national chain seems to have dissolved at some point after 1971, which is the last year I can find franchise ads. Even so, many of the individual locations continued to operate either under the original name or with a new one, as was the case with Dairy Chef. I suspect the change was to emphasize its food as much as its ice cream.

The store’s fourth and current owner, Mike Ozmun, bought the restaurant in 2013. After his family moved to the area in 1991, they became regulars at the shop, visiting weekly and oftentimes more than once. By 2013, its previous owner was ready to retire and close the shop down for good. Ozmun was a self-proclaimed foodie who sought to breathe new life into the business and expand upon its culinary options.

To do so, he traveled across the country to find inspiration for the menu, which includes a variety of burgers including the Big Mike with roast beef, nacho cheese and bacon, as well as the pizza burger. The food is well received and is mostly made from scratch. The menu includes fast food staples such as chicken tenders and french fries and items you’re more likely to find at a sit-down restaurant, such as brisket and roast beef sandwiches and pork tenderloin.

The recipe for its generous portions of soft serve ice cream remains the same as it has been for decades. I find myself drawn to its Storms (its version of DQ’s Blizzard) and the BFF in particular, with vanilla ice cream, chocolate shell and salted caramel. It has other ice cream standards like sundaes, banana splits, and its popular cookie sandwiches made with homemade cookies. It’s also an option for those with other dietary needs, with dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free options.

Ozmun continually improves the family-run business despite selling as much as 500 gallons of ice cream each week. That includes renovating and expanding the patio space, adding more seating outside and much-needed shade in the hot summer months. The emphasis on outdoor space makes sense given there are just a few tables inside the small building.

Mentioned among the best ice cream shops by The Reader and Omaha Magazine in recent years, it still retains the old-school ice cream stand vibe in which you order from a walk-up window rather than a drive-thru. There’s no doubting its popularity when you drive by and see the long lines of people waiting out front to order. In the peak summer months you’ll find people standing, sitting at a picnic table, in a lawn chair or on a blanket, or even on the tailgate of a pickup truck.

With many businesses having difficulty hiring employees, Dairy Chef remains a popular employer for teenagers in the area. The Ozmun family’s dedication to the business and the community has resulted in loyal fans of all ages and backgrounds. Part of its appeal is due to its support of local schools and businesses and community events it hosts, like its outdoor movie night called Flix at the Chef.

Since Omaha’s annexation of Elkhorn in 2007, Ozmun and his family have continued to maintain its small-town feel while focusing on nostalgia. Despite being part of a much larger city, this ice cream stand is a constant. It still serves the soft serve people stand in line for. The change is that its food is just as good. Maybe even better.

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More pictures

• Omaha World-Herald archives
• https://mariandigitalnetwork.com/2023/05/02/dairy-chef-the-inside-scoop/
• Omaha Magazine, Dairy Chef, 2024
• Dine Nebraska, Elkhorn’s sweet spot, 2022
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/408419005987287/posts/1090154244480423/
• Iowa Ice Cream Stands | RoadsideArchitecture.com
• https://visitnebraska.com/auburn/dairy-sweet
• https://visitcasscounty.com/directory/dairy-sweet/
• A look at our Cheap Eat$ Tip of the Week: Dairy Chef
• Dairy Chef – Omaha, NE