UNION SQUARE — Dairy Queen is giving away a year of free Blizzards to the first customers at its brand-new Union Square store Thursday morning.
To celebrate the launch of the national chain's first Manhattan location at 54 W. 14th St., the store will hand out free gift cards to the first 50 customers and free T-shirts to the first 200 customers, the store announced.
The gift cards that the first 50 customers receive will allow them to get one free Blizzard — a thick soft-serve treat with candy, fruit and other toppings mixed in — each month for the next year.
"We are excited to open up the first location in Manhattan and we expect New Yorkers to be lined up outside the location ready to get the DQ treats they haven't been able to get in Manhattan in forever," said Dairy Queen spokesman Dean Peters. "This is pretty historic for us."
On the opening day, the two-story restaurant will also launch a limited-time Blizzard flavor called the Big Apple Blizzard, which is made from vanilla soft serve, chunks of pie crust and granny smith apple pieces, topped with nutmeg and whipped cream.
"Customers can order on the first floor and there's additional seating upstairs," Peters said. "Upstairs, there will not only be table seating, but couches as well. It has kind of a coffeehouse feel, where people can hang out with their friends, families and co-workers."
The Union Square Dairy Queen will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 10 to 1 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
