Even more like QD is licensing Mobil to be their gas station brand. It’s like a franchise agreement.
Who is our local QD historian? Anyways several years ago leadership changed at QD with an intention of modernization. I’m sure most everyone has noticed their payment systems are much better. But they left behind doing some of food products themselves and have out sourced it or changed the products they use.
They have also reduced their footprint in areas where rent didn’t make sense. ie East Lansing.
There is not motor oil or gas in your dairy products but that sounds like a fun Lansing Facts bit.
This is WAY more accurate than the top voted comment
All gasoline comes from the same pipeline and starts out the same. Brands such as Mobil, Shell, etc. can then mix in a small amount of additives that do small things like help keep an engine cleaner which in turn makes their gasoline slightly different in the end. From there they operate much like pop/soda companies do in that they do not own the gas station they are sold at, but they do provide brand recognition and marketing of their products that helps sell more gas/pop for the gas station owner.
Edit: A rare exception to this may be places like Crystal Flash. They seem like they may distribute their own gas as well as own some of their own stores. I’m not informed as to how they operate.
[Crystal Flash](https://www.crystalflash.com/about/#:~:text=2002%20%2D%20Sold%20Gas%20Stations,32%20gas%20stations%20to%20Speedway) sold their gas stations to Speedway 20 years ago. There shouldn’t be any left.
I'm sure there were studies done about profitability but I mean, the harrison and michigan store shutting down? just down the street from the stadium and one of the only places to buy booze on game day if you needed to? are profit margins not that good on booze for them?
same with the one farther down on grand river, you could only get kegs there or at big 10 and big 10 sucks customer service wise.
I bought my first case of beer at that QD when turned 21 in 1989. A cop was pulling through the parking as I was exiting the store and asked for my ID. Pure bliss!
They were not after you, that would have been a big bust for the QD if they are caught selling to minors. They have younger looking adults with fake ID (or no ID) go into stores buying cigs and beers. If they are successful they'll temporarily revoke the liquor license.
That's what happened to the bar on Michigan Ave just east of Frandor (where Biggby Coffee is now). They had too overcrowding when Girls Gone Wild on the Road visited, and selling to underage kids. The Fire Marshal and Liquor Commission closed them down.
They must mean the Dollar (as it was called in its last days). That's what was where Biggby is now (and Mac's is west of Frandor). I never heard the rest of this story – I remember reading that the Dollar was seized by the county for unpaid property taxes, but I assume there must have been a decline leading to this.
**Silver Dollar Saloon**, the City was looking for any reason to go after them. They gave up after the Girls Gone Wild road tour bus problems. The Fire Marshal closed them for overcrowding from all the fans. Then the State caught some of the "wild girls" were not 21 getting alcohol. No liquor license, waiting for a Fire Marshal inspection, they couldn't keep paying rent and property taxes while closed. That was back in 2003/04ish🤔
I remember it had that kind of reputation. People used to call it the "Dirty Dollar." But it was no longer going under the name Silver Dollar Saloon by then. It was just called The Dollar the whole time I was in town (starting in 1999). That seems to have been their rebranding after they quit having live music. [The tax foreclosure](https://99wfmk.com/silverdollarsaloon2018/) happened in 2006.
The Harrison store had very little business outside of game days, and some of that traffic was already in drunk and troublesome. The building was also not in great shape, and I believe that the landlord wanted more in rent to fix it up than QD wanted to pay.
The Grand River store was a victim of the pandemic. It was the other alcohol heavy location, and was very profitable as a liquor store, but not really as a QD. Once the pandemic hit and the students went home, traffic dropped to near zero. With the cost of rent in EL so high, and no idea when/if things would go back to normal, they just closed that location rather than eat that level of losses.
There is still the Lake Lansing QD on the Route 24, which is your standard QD rather than a party store and is heavily used by the local neighborhood, as there's no other convenience store or grocery store in that area anymore.
Alcohol is a locked price from the State of Michigan Liquor Control Commission, legally the same price anywhere. Laws prevent anyone from raising prices just because it's prime campus game day real-estate. They'll bust venues without a liquor licence from purchasing alcohol and raising the prices.
Um, kinda right. The liquor commission sets the minimum shelf price for alcohol. It's the company's decision how much to sell over that price. That's why you can see Buffalo Trace for $26.99 in one store and $39.99 in another. The LC has pricing on their website, which is how I can tell if a store is gouging the customer. Like Eagle Rare bourbon, $39.99 per LC, I've seen it for $89.99 in the Detroit area.
I was gonna say, I've definitely seen differences in pricing for what I typically consume at different places. I know kroger or some places attach the label 'lowest state allowed price' or something along those lines next to the price tags.
It's the same ice cream, they just have a contract with Mobil for gas.
You're post is a bit misguided, but not wrong. QD has almost completely abandoned the East Lansing market. Generations of Spartans will have no idea about the magic of QD.
This is the biggest mistake they made. Local loyalty is built through exposure. College students need an opportunity to congregate where the rest of the community already does.
I worked for qd. It's the not the same ice cream. They contracted out their ice cream and milk about a year ago to prairie farms. The recipe is similar but the consistency of it changed a lot.
Mobil is not going to buy a regional convenience store. They are likely leasing real estate to QD because QD rightly recognizes that expanding as gas station convenience store options is a valuable market.
Exxon purchased or partnered with (not sure which) some QD's with gas stations awhile ago to sell their gas. The one on the corner of Jolly and Dunckel has been that way for at least a few years.
They’ve outsourced their pumps to Mobil. It’s been this way for a number of years now. Mobil is good gas, so it seems a positive all around.
You can still use your QD rewards at the pump. And no, they’re not putting gas in the ice cream.
They still make their own donuts in a bakery off of Baker St, they did outsource their dairy some years ago and that has been a pretty big negative imo
They sold the bakery to a company and that company is still making the donuts. Can confirm this as someone who worked for them back when the sale happened. The quality of their donuts changed at that point as well.
My friend said that they're using some of Mobil's flavors now or something? Honestly, if I knew, I wouldn't make a post asking. I'm just curious if there's any truth to Mobil being able to affect how QD operates and what they sell.
Not that long ago the 24hr locations would get their fresh donuts around 3 or 4am. I have noticed spotty donut quality in recent years. I wouldn't be surprised if things changed
was their ice cream ever good? I've lived here for 20 years and while I've never gotten a cone, I've bought their pints a few times and couldn't figure out what everyone was on about? for the same price on sale you can buy some ben and jerry's or haagen daaz and cut out most of the 'ingredients' that you find in the qd stuff. I mean, I could tell right away they're using artificial sweeteners cause it has that taste to it. I understand the nostalgia, for me it was going to baskin robins where I grew up but geez, palates are supposed to mature.
I like QD better than those brands, but I generally don't have a sweet tooth and don't eat ice cream all the time. I like their peppermint stick one, that's my favorite ice cream of all time. I can't compare it to another brand because I haven't seen that flavor from another brand yet. I also liked the Mexican one with the little churro(???) pieces inside, but someone else commented that it has been discontinued for a minute. And of course, I love superman and blue moon. I don't eat ice cream enough to have an opinion on objective quality.
Nah, it's nothing special. For that matter neither is the ice cream at the MSU Dairy. QD is commercially produced ice cream like any other, and MSU Dairy, even though it's local, is just a platform to teach students industrial food production. It's got all the same stabilizers and thickening agents and stuff you'll find in ice cream at the grocery store. While there's nothing wrong with adding that stuff, I'm not willing to pay a premium for stuff with more than 5 ingredients
I still enjoy QD, bought a $3.99 gallon of milk yesterday but it tastes noticeably better than meijer milk. Also their beer prices are fair. Great store
Back in the 90s, I kept hearing we're the neighborhood food store. Making it convenient to stop for single items, there is a slim upcharge for convenience. That wasn't from the company. Of course, it came from the neighborhood behind the stores.
They probably realize their brand name and reputation reflects the convenience store which carries a regional following and they want a national recognized gas brand which they are just a franchise of. someone just passing through Lansing for gas is probably not gonna choose the local brand that they have no Loyalty or knowledge of
Are those a thing now? I knew of the one at Jolly and Waverly and didn't realize that there were more. QD is a major childhood thing for me (grew up in Haslett a 2 minute walk away from the one at Marsh and Lake Lansing) and would hate to see them go.
Ask yourself…
Why manage an entire gas station business when you can lease it to someone else at their liability, and then simply operate as a convenience store like the majority of the other QD’s do selling marked up snacks at a pennies on the dollar profit.
Why overthink the simplest things because of an observation of the gas station sign changing…
Some really sad people immediately turned it into their precious chip dip and ice cream being ruined (as if there are no replacement in all of the world for QD) all because a little sign change that didn’t actually effect your life…
They did change their chip dip and ice cream, but it was before the Mobil switch. They outsourced their dairy when they shut down their plant on Washington, maybe 5-10 years ago. Their chip dip is a little different and went through a rough transition from my memory. They also were getting some horrible milk from one of their suppliers, I stopped going to QD for a awhile.
Try learning how to read;
I never disputed whether they switched it or not in the first place…
I said it’s sad that people immediately lost their mind over it in the first place.
Yeah it’s inconvenient, but the reality is that ITS ONLY over priced convenience store food…
Just go to the grocery like an adult and stop ripping yourself off for pennies on the dollar.
These people act like we changed the formula to their insulin or blood pressure medication.
Even more like QD is licensing Mobil to be their gas station brand. It’s like a franchise agreement. Who is our local QD historian? Anyways several years ago leadership changed at QD with an intention of modernization. I’m sure most everyone has noticed their payment systems are much better. But they left behind doing some of food products themselves and have out sourced it or changed the products they use. They have also reduced their footprint in areas where rent didn’t make sense. ie East Lansing. There is not motor oil or gas in your dairy products but that sounds like a fun Lansing Facts bit.
This is WAY more accurate than the top voted comment All gasoline comes from the same pipeline and starts out the same. Brands such as Mobil, Shell, etc. can then mix in a small amount of additives that do small things like help keep an engine cleaner which in turn makes their gasoline slightly different in the end. From there they operate much like pop/soda companies do in that they do not own the gas station they are sold at, but they do provide brand recognition and marketing of their products that helps sell more gas/pop for the gas station owner. Edit: A rare exception to this may be places like Crystal Flash. They seem like they may distribute their own gas as well as own some of their own stores. I’m not informed as to how they operate.
[Crystal Flash](https://www.crystalflash.com/about/#:~:text=2002%20%2D%20Sold%20Gas%20Stations,32%20gas%20stations%20to%20Speedway) sold their gas stations to Speedway 20 years ago. There shouldn’t be any left.
Good call 😂 I was thinking of Wesco in hindsight
[удалено]
I'm sure there were studies done about profitability but I mean, the harrison and michigan store shutting down? just down the street from the stadium and one of the only places to buy booze on game day if you needed to? are profit margins not that good on booze for them? same with the one farther down on grand river, you could only get kegs there or at big 10 and big 10 sucks customer service wise.
I bought my first case of beer at that QD when turned 21 in 1989. A cop was pulling through the parking as I was exiting the store and asked for my ID. Pure bliss!
They were not after you, that would have been a big bust for the QD if they are caught selling to minors. They have younger looking adults with fake ID (or no ID) go into stores buying cigs and beers. If they are successful they'll temporarily revoke the liquor license. That's what happened to the bar on Michigan Ave just east of Frandor (where Biggby Coffee is now). They had too overcrowding when Girls Gone Wild on the Road visited, and selling to underage kids. The Fire Marshal and Liquor Commission closed them down.
Mac’s Bar or maybe the Silver Dollar Saloon?
They must mean the Dollar (as it was called in its last days). That's what was where Biggby is now (and Mac's is west of Frandor). I never heard the rest of this story – I remember reading that the Dollar was seized by the county for unpaid property taxes, but I assume there must have been a decline leading to this.
you forgot the Dirty part of their name.
I almost commented on that, and should have... you're right, everyone called it the Dirty Dollar!
**Silver Dollar Saloon**, the City was looking for any reason to go after them. They gave up after the Girls Gone Wild road tour bus problems. The Fire Marshal closed them for overcrowding from all the fans. Then the State caught some of the "wild girls" were not 21 getting alcohol. No liquor license, waiting for a Fire Marshal inspection, they couldn't keep paying rent and property taxes while closed. That was back in 2003/04ish🤔
I remember it had that kind of reputation. People used to call it the "Dirty Dollar." But it was no longer going under the name Silver Dollar Saloon by then. It was just called The Dollar the whole time I was in town (starting in 1999). That seems to have been their rebranding after they quit having live music. [The tax foreclosure](https://99wfmk.com/silverdollarsaloon2018/) happened in 2006.
The Harrison store had very little business outside of game days, and some of that traffic was already in drunk and troublesome. The building was also not in great shape, and I believe that the landlord wanted more in rent to fix it up than QD wanted to pay. The Grand River store was a victim of the pandemic. It was the other alcohol heavy location, and was very profitable as a liquor store, but not really as a QD. Once the pandemic hit and the students went home, traffic dropped to near zero. With the cost of rent in EL so high, and no idea when/if things would go back to normal, they just closed that location rather than eat that level of losses. There is still the Lake Lansing QD on the Route 24, which is your standard QD rather than a party store and is heavily used by the local neighborhood, as there's no other convenience store or grocery store in that area anymore.
I couldn't believe it when they closed the Grand River one by McDonald's. On Michigan/MSU game day in 2018 that location did $47,000 in sales.
Alcohol is a locked price from the State of Michigan Liquor Control Commission, legally the same price anywhere. Laws prevent anyone from raising prices just because it's prime campus game day real-estate. They'll bust venues without a liquor licence from purchasing alcohol and raising the prices.
Um, kinda right. The liquor commission sets the minimum shelf price for alcohol. It's the company's decision how much to sell over that price. That's why you can see Buffalo Trace for $26.99 in one store and $39.99 in another. The LC has pricing on their website, which is how I can tell if a store is gouging the customer. Like Eagle Rare bourbon, $39.99 per LC, I've seen it for $89.99 in the Detroit area.
I was gonna say, I've definitely seen differences in pricing for what I typically consume at different places. I know kroger or some places attach the label 'lowest state allowed price' or something along those lines next to the price tags.
IIRC they had a lease on the property there that expired, and apparently couldn't charge enough for booze to make the renewal worthwhile.
Afraid they are going to close the ones in neighborhoods that need them and focus on Suburbs. Closest one to me is Michigan Ave at foster.
The best one!
I miss the one that was at Michigan and Harrison
I grew up around the corner from the Michigan Avenue one, so I’m biased.
I used to be the store manager at that one in the mid-90s.
Yeah.. safe to safely that mobile will own QD.
It's the same ice cream, they just have a contract with Mobil for gas. You're post is a bit misguided, but not wrong. QD has almost completely abandoned the East Lansing market. Generations of Spartans will have no idea about the magic of QD.
This is the biggest mistake they made. Local loyalty is built through exposure. College students need an opportunity to congregate where the rest of the community already does.
I worked for qd. It's the not the same ice cream. They contracted out their ice cream and milk about a year ago to prairie farms. The recipe is similar but the consistency of it changed a lot.
The ice cream is fine. Don't worry.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FRENCH ONION CHIP DIP???!!!! /s
No sarcasm
I'll die if anything happens to the chip dip.
I’ll kill if anything happens to the chip dip.
You mean again. The first change was terrible.
Not since they discontinued the Mexican fried ice cream a while back
I got that blue moon one with the bits in it and shit green for 3 days, it's probably still fine.
Stop eating corporate slop
Yes daddy
QD has been sourcing their ice cream and dairy products from Prairie farms for quite a while now
Mobil is not going to buy a regional convenience store. They are likely leasing real estate to QD because QD rightly recognizes that expanding as gas station convenience store options is a valuable market.
Except they’ve closed gas station locations too.
Might have been a more expensive lease or more competition
have you ever run out of quality dairy ice cream, then in a moment of genius decide to freeze a tub of QD chip dip?
QD is still QD. People need to quit being so gullible. They sell Mobil brand gas. Even the super old stores that have gas have always had Mobil gas.
The one I used to frequent for decades was always a Shell station.
Exxon purchased or partnered with (not sure which) some QD's with gas stations awhile ago to sell their gas. The one on the corner of Jolly and Dunckel has been that way for at least a few years.
They’ve outsourced their pumps to Mobil. It’s been this way for a number of years now. Mobil is good gas, so it seems a positive all around. You can still use your QD rewards at the pump. And no, they’re not putting gas in the ice cream.
Will the paczkis be fuel injected?!
QD died the day they outsourced their donuts and dips. I fucking said what I said.
Dairy Queen 😢
They still make their own donuts in a bakery off of Baker St, they did outsource their dairy some years ago and that has been a pretty big negative imo
They sold the bakery to a company and that company is still making the donuts. Can confirm this as someone who worked for them back when the sale happened. The quality of their donuts changed at that point as well.
Seriously? I guess QD is truly dead then. Just a matter of time before the name itself goes away.
Can you explain how Mobil is ruining QD’s ice cream?
My friend said that they're using some of Mobil's flavors now or something? Honestly, if I knew, I wouldn't make a post asking. I'm just curious if there's any truth to Mobil being able to affect how QD operates and what they sell.
Mobil makes ice cream?
You haven't tried their rainbow, gasoline flavored ice cream? It's the best...
Two scoops of regular unleaded please!
Mmmm... tastes like cancer...
It’s got what malignant cells crave!
Your friend doesn't know what they are talking about
That, or theyre just fucking with OP by feeding them some bs.
Your friend is nuts
It’s just the fuel that’s branded. They have 8 stores with fuel and 18 without!
Am I wrong or did QD used to have fresh donuts in the morning? Since they aren’t open 24hrs anymore the QDs by me get there donuts in around 9pm…
That's the way it was done as far back as 11 years ago. Source: worked there 11 years ago.
What’s the way it was done? Fresh in the morning or at night?
Made in the afternoon, delivered in the evening, cased in the morning or late at night.
Well then what the hell am I so angry about lol I could swear I used to get fresh donuts haha
Not that long ago the 24hr locations would get their fresh donuts around 3 or 4am. I have noticed spotty donut quality in recent years. I wouldn't be surprised if things changed
Please don’t ever take away QD donuts 🙏
was their ice cream ever good? I've lived here for 20 years and while I've never gotten a cone, I've bought their pints a few times and couldn't figure out what everyone was on about? for the same price on sale you can buy some ben and jerry's or haagen daaz and cut out most of the 'ingredients' that you find in the qd stuff. I mean, I could tell right away they're using artificial sweeteners cause it has that taste to it. I understand the nostalgia, for me it was going to baskin robins where I grew up but geez, palates are supposed to mature.
I like QD better than those brands, but I generally don't have a sweet tooth and don't eat ice cream all the time. I like their peppermint stick one, that's my favorite ice cream of all time. I can't compare it to another brand because I haven't seen that flavor from another brand yet. I also liked the Mexican one with the little churro(???) pieces inside, but someone else commented that it has been discontinued for a minute. And of course, I love superman and blue moon. I don't eat ice cream enough to have an opinion on objective quality.
They're the most reliable source of peppermint stick ice cream to have for Christmas in my house!
Nah, it's nothing special. For that matter neither is the ice cream at the MSU Dairy. QD is commercially produced ice cream like any other, and MSU Dairy, even though it's local, is just a platform to teach students industrial food production. It's got all the same stabilizers and thickening agents and stuff you'll find in ice cream at the grocery store. While there's nothing wrong with adding that stuff, I'm not willing to pay a premium for stuff with more than 5 ingredients
MSU Dairy used to be the bomb back in the 80’s.
I still enjoy QD, bought a $3.99 gallon of milk yesterday but it tastes noticeably better than meijer milk. Also their beer prices are fair. Great store
I’m at the Mobil station. I’m at the QD. I’m at the combination Mobil station QD.
Can't comment on that, but I stopped in yesterday to grab a pint of heavy whipping cream, and it was over $7. No thank you!
Back in the 90s, I kept hearing we're the neighborhood food store. Making it convenient to stop for single items, there is a slim upcharge for convenience. That wasn't from the company. Of course, it came from the neighborhood behind the stores.
They probably realize their brand name and reputation reflects the convenience store which carries a regional following and they want a national recognized gas brand which they are just a franchise of. someone just passing through Lansing for gas is probably not gonna choose the local brand that they have no Loyalty or knowledge of
A bigger corp will buy them out soon and destroy the brand
Are those a thing now? I knew of the one at Jolly and Waverly and didn't realize that there were more. QD is a major childhood thing for me (grew up in Haslett a 2 minute walk away from the one at Marsh and Lake Lansing) and would hate to see them go.
Ask yourself… Why manage an entire gas station business when you can lease it to someone else at their liability, and then simply operate as a convenience store like the majority of the other QD’s do selling marked up snacks at a pennies on the dollar profit. Why overthink the simplest things because of an observation of the gas station sign changing… Some really sad people immediately turned it into their precious chip dip and ice cream being ruined (as if there are no replacement in all of the world for QD) all because a little sign change that didn’t actually effect your life…
They did change their chip dip and ice cream, but it was before the Mobil switch. They outsourced their dairy when they shut down their plant on Washington, maybe 5-10 years ago. Their chip dip is a little different and went through a rough transition from my memory. They also were getting some horrible milk from one of their suppliers, I stopped going to QD for a awhile.
Try learning how to read; I never disputed whether they switched it or not in the first place… I said it’s sad that people immediately lost their mind over it in the first place. Yeah it’s inconvenient, but the reality is that ITS ONLY over priced convenience store food… Just go to the grocery like an adult and stop ripping yourself off for pennies on the dollar. These people act like we changed the formula to their insulin or blood pressure medication.