One-of-a-kind products, an exceptional customer experience and the opportunity for community service inspire Cold Stone franchisees
Cold Stone Creamery® franchisees love business ownership, our products and serving their communities. Doing business for more than 30 years, Cold Stone® has become a national institution, beloved for offering the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience®. Our brand’s super-premium ice cream is made fresh in more than 1,000 locations in the United States, and in hundreds of other locations around the world.
As interested entrepreneurs look into the Cold Stone franchise opportunity, hearing first-hand from our owners about their businesses can help with the decision-making process. We asked our franchise owners what they loved most about owning their stores, and here’s what they had to say.
Our products are the best on the market
We make the ice cream fresh every day using an Italian ice cream machine in the back of the store. Everyone who comes in the store believes that Cold Stone Creamery is the best ice cream, and it’s the freshness factor that sets us apart. Cold Stone Creamery is unlike any other brand. — Kyle Welch, multi-unit owner, Illinois
We make everything in the store — not just our own proprietary ice cream, but our own cakes, cupcakes and ice cream sandwiches as well. We have control of the quality, which is really important. When I go visit friends, I always take some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream to them. We went to a friend’s house the other night for dinner, and I brought a couple of the new flavors. And I’m sitting there saying to myself, “Now I remember why we got into this business. We offer an excellent and delicious product.” We are a fabulous frozen dessert concept. And we provide The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience®. — Ruth Spiegel, Florida
I had never heard of Cold Stone Creamery until I visited my son in Arizona in the early 2000s. We went on a drizzly, rainy January day and there was still a line. We returned in the summer, and we waited in line for 32 minutes! The line was out the door, and when I tasted the ice cream, I knew why there was a line. I began to think that there must be something to this business. When I returned to Michigan, I had to bring Cold Stone Creamery to the Midwest, where people had never experienced anything like it before. — Terry Sedmak, multi-unit owner, Michigan
Our ice cream doesn’t taste like any other ice cream. The taste lingers in your mouth. Our brand’s core flavors are very good, and it’s very rich, too. Once you get people hooked on good service and good product, they’ll be back. — Greg Cropp, multi-unit owner, Texas
We help people celebrate, and they leave happy
I’ve owned other franchises and worked in several brands. What drew me to Cold Stone Creamery? It’s the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience®. When people come into our store, they come in happy. They are celebrating — an anniversary, birthday, soccer game, a first date, whatever it may be — and they leave even happier because we serve them the best ice cream in the world. — Kyle Welch, multi-unit owner, Illinois
I like the concept. The first time I tried it was in Honolulu, Hawaii, on vacation. My wife, Angie, and I went to Cold Stone® twice and thought, “Wow, that was good.” I was living in North Dakota when I first looked into what it would cost, but I didn’t have the funds then, as I was newly married. Even so, I didn’t really look into other brands. I liked the idea of just selling desserts and working with happy customers. — Bruce Peltz, Minnesota
I love everything about Cold Stone Creamery and everything that Cold Stone Creamery stands for in terms of the quality of our product, our exceptional customer service and the place that we hold in our community. After almost 15 years as an owner, I still love to come to work every day. The fact that Cold Stone Creamery brings joy to people every single time they come in never gets old to me, and it’s not ever something I take for granted. My two daughters grew up in my Cold Stone Creamery, and it’s been a blessing to make a great life in a family business. — Karen Weldon, Massachusetts
I love the excitement of our customers who enjoy the product. We do off-site catering, and everybody gets very excited when we show up. It’s better than being a mortician, an insurance salesman or a tax collector! It’s a happy product. — Ruth Spiegel, Florida
Through business ownership, franchisees serve their communities
There’s still nothing like Cold Stone Creamery on the market, and not only does this make for a profitable business model, but it also has given me the chance to really give back to my community. The support from the Cold Stone Creamery executives continues to be outstanding, and for new entrepreneurs who are looking for a business that is easy to open and easy to scale, I couldn’t recommend Cold Stone Creamery highly enough. Be prepared for hard work, but the hard work is worth it! — Terry Sedmak, multi-unit owner, Michigan
We have the best ice cream, and that’s number one. We also have the best customer experience. We hire outgoing kids that make our customers smile when they visit us. When we put our ice cream on the stone, people really like the visual experience and the ability to customize their ice cream to suit their individual tastes. The U.S. loves ice cream, and nobody, no other brand can touch our ice cream. We make our ice cream fresh every single day. I stop in every single ice cream store I can find, and after many years in business, I still cannot find a brand that is better than our ice cream. We really are the best. — Fred Willis, multi-unit owner, Arizona
The most rewarding part of Cold Stone ownership is bringing smiles to people’s faces. I also enjoy working with young kids, especially those who have never had a job before. They come in just thinking they are scooping ice cream, but I enjoy helping, molding and teaching them about how to work a first job and be a good employee. I’ve been here 12 years, so I’ve seen the kids grow up. They came in as small children, and now they are teenagers. It’s incredible to watch the families grow. — Jeff Wallach, New Jersey
Find out more about franchising with Cold Stone Creamery
If you are interested in opening a Cold Stone Creamery franchise in your community, we’d love to talk with you. For more details, visit the research pages on our franchise website, request a copy of our free Franchise Information Report or call us at 1-877-948-1853.
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