Change of ownership for Wendy’s Dairy Bar

Times Photo Submitted by Kim Dorin. MILESTONE: Kim Dorin with her husband, Cody Dorin, and their children, Ty and Emersyn Dorin.

By Jared Vas
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A well-known local fixture along Highway 36 has entered a new chapter.
Wendy’s Dairy Bar, a longstanding summer staple in the Vauxhall community since 1963, officially changed ownership on July 4, 2025.

The business, originally founded by Rod and Wendy West, has passed through several family owners over the decades — the Marunos, the Maloneys and the Howletts — before landing in the hands of Kim Egeland Dorin in 2006.

Dorin had worked at the Dairy Bar since she was 12 years old and went on to own it for 19 seasons.

“I poured my heart and soul into every season,” Dorin said in a farewell message shared online, which quickly gained more than 350 reactions and dozens of comments. “I am so deeply grateful for every visit, every smile and every memory we’ve shared.”

Dorin had been considering selling the Dairy Bar for years. After decades of running it, she knew the time was coming. She quietly listed it seven years ago but wasn’t willing to hand it off to just anyone.

Then the right offer came in.

“I think he [the new owner] understands the legacy,” she said. “And I think he is going to try to carry it on.

“When I got the offer… I cried for three days.”

The final decision was difficult, but the decisive factor was her children’s input.

“I asked my kids what they thought,” Dorin said. “My daughter said, ‘I’ll get to see you more if you sell it.’”

The new owner, Tom Zimmerman, brings a background in construction and a fresh perspective to the business.

“I’m working with the current staff to keep what customers love and improve areas that need it,” Zimmerman said.

Changes include thicker burger patties with new seasoning, fresh buns from a local bakery, and new menu items such as subs and taco-in-a-bag.

Despite the updates, Zimmerman says prices have stayed the same — and the Dairy Bar’s famous milkshakes remain unchanged.

“I actually am losing a little bit of money,” Zimmerman admitted. “I don’t really care. I’d rather have customers happy.”

The change has sparked mixed reactions online, with some reviews voicing concern over the updates. Zimmerman, however, says he’s listening.

“I’m not unwilling to change back if I find that I start to lose sales. But most of the people I see are happier that the burgers are bigger and more flavourful.”

The new patties use beef from the same local producer, Vauxhall Meats. Zimmerman is also introducing fresh buns baked daily by a local bakery.

Dorin weighed in on the shift.

“I think I won the thin patty debate,” she said. “And I think Tom’s gonna win the thick patty debate.”

The Dairy Bar continues to operate through the summer season, open regular hours under its new leadership.