About

In 1955, the founders of Dairy Treet, Jesse and Chiquita Tolbert moved to Victoria with their 3 children, Dick, Peggy and Nancy. They were not native to Victoria, but after passing through the area after many trips to and from Yoakum to visit Jesse's parents, they took a liking to the town. With no job established and needing to create an income, Jesse and Chiquita decided to go into business for themselves. They needed a small business that would not require a lot of capital to start. After finding a piece of property to lease on the edge of town, borrowing some money to build the building, and gathering up some used kitchen equipment, Dairy Treet as we know it, was created.

At that time, they sold ice cream cones for 5 cents, hamburgers for 25 cents, cold drinks for 5 & 10 cents and malts for 25 cents. Mrs. Tolbert cooked the burgers, but with never having cooked for the public, she cooked the burgers just like she did at home; and they sold fast! Their business grew and with it, the building did too, soon they added a walk-in cooler and updated the equipment. The town grew as well, Dairy Treet, once on the edge of town, would soon be in the center of town.

In the late 80s the Tolberts would sell the business to a long-time employee, Mike Hathaway, who would operate the restaurant until selling to the Lauger family in spring of 2018. Though the business has changed hands, the same homemade recipes and techniques used by the Tolberts in 1955, are still used today. The legacy of Dairy Treet, that has become tradition for many local Victorians and visitors to our area, will live on for many decades to come. In 2021, on the "new" edge of town, Tolbert's Dairy Treet has expanded again, this time in a new location and what a "treet" it was for the daughters of Jesse and Chiquita Tolbert; Peggy and Nancy, to join us to see their parents dream continue.

• ELVIS! - One late night a big yellow Cadillac pulled up at the side window. Two men got out and came to the window to order, one of them said, "What do you want, Presley?". Mrs. Tolbert looked out and sure enough, sitting in the back of the car, was the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. They were on their way to Corpus Christi and stopped at a service station and asked where to get a good, fast, hamburger and not have to get out of the car, and the fellow at the gas station sent them our way.

• Burt Reynolds & Dom Delouise - A few years after Elvis stopped by, there was a movie being filmed up the road in La Grange starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton about a well-known brothel. Dom Delouise and Burt Reynolds were passing through and Dom came up to the window, one of the girls working for Dairy Treet at the time recognized him and asked him about Burt Reynolds, he said he was out in the car, but didn't want to get out, however he waved and blew kisses at the girls.

• Upon opening Dairy Treet, a painter, named Dalhart Windberg, painted the wooden strips that were used to show the flavors of Ice cream for day. Mr. Windberg would go on to become a world-renowned artist.