The national restaurant chain opened its first store in 1940 in Joliet and began treating people right in Decatur in 1950, when Stacy Smith opened its first location at 701 E. Eldorado St.

Smith sold ice cream cones for five cents, 10 cents and 15 cents. Sundaes were the only other item.

He became acquainted with the chain while watching customers flock to the location across the street from his gas station in a Chicago suburb. He decided to open one of his own and returned to Central Illinois when the opportunity to open one in Decatur presented itself. Smith sold his holdings to Wendell Bradley in 1983.

The number of locations grew over the years, along with list of items on the menu: Things like shakes, banana splits and Dilly Bars still are among the scrumpdillyumptious staples, including a full line of food items. In just the past year or so, the cookie dough Blizzard surpassed its Oreo counterpart to become the most popular local item.

Today, Decatur is home to three of these restaurants, including the largest Grill & Chill in the nation, which also ranks among the top five performing locations among the chain's more than 5,000 restaurants in America and Canada. The lowest performing Decatur location.;ranks at a very respectable 115th.;in the nation.

The local chain also is a five-time winner of the Herald & Review's Readers Choice award in two categories, dessert and ice cream.