Whatever Happened To...Orange Julius?

Today, I will begin a new series here on this blog which discovers what became of history's most prized relics. So it should come as no surprise that my first entry in this series is THE mall mainstay- Orange Julius.

A vacant Orange Julius still carrying the sea green, bronze, and white color scheme which made it a 1980s mainstay.

Founded in 1926 by Julius Freed, an Orange Julius is a frothy orange drink which includes oranges, milk, sugar, and ice cubes. Freed's broker came up with the long-standing recipe, as the original recipe was too acidic and upset his stomach. After introducing the new recipe, people started asking for the "Orange Julius", and the company's profits increased fivefold. In 1964, the Orange Julius was even named the official drink of the 1964 New York World's Fair.

The 1970s would make Orange Julius a staple in malls across the country, and it would stay that way for the next 30 years or so. Your mall wasn't complete unless you had an Orange Julius.

But sometime in the 2000s, The Julius started disappearing in malls, eventually just "dying off" for a short time. What happened?

Well, back in 1987, Dairy Queen purchased the Orange Julius franchise, eventually adding DQ menu items to most freestanding Orange Julius stands. Now, you can find Orange Julius menu items at most Dairy Queens, some even carrying the OJ moniker. The brand has also been selling a premium line of smoothies since 2004 as to compete with the likes of Smoothie King and Jamba Juice.

A DQ / Orange Julius mashup seen here; the malls may be devoid of Orange Julius, but its spirit lives on here.

Got an relic of old that you'd like for me to unearth? Send your request to jeremynelson1987@gmail.com, or post in the comment box!