RISE - Menu Monitor

Menu Positioning |
Cold Stone Creamery's menu features ice cream, frozen yogurt, cakes, milkshakes, smoothies and beverages. The signature
items are its super-premium ice cream combinations. The chain offers over 30 ice cream flavors, made fresh daily, and more
than 50 mix-ins, including candy, cookies, nuts and fruits. Mix-ins are folded into the ice cream on a frozen granite slab and
served in a waffle cone or bowl. Cold Stone's Originals line features customer favorites such as At The Cocoa Banana Cabana
(banana ice cream, yellow cake, banana, fudge and whipped topping), Birthday Cake Remix (cake batter ice cream, rainbow
sprinkles, brownie and fudge), Cookie Mintster (mint ice cream, double Oreo and fudge), and Our Strawberry Blonde
(strawberry ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, strawberries, caramel and whipped topping). Ice cream flavors include,
chocolate, banana, strawberry and sweet cream yogurt. Seasonal ice cream favorites include, eggnog, pumpkin, orange
dreamsicle, amaretto, cinnamon and peanut butter. Cold Stone also menus lower-calorie options such as yogurt, no-sugaradded
ice cream, Italian sorbet and lowfat/nonfat mix-ins. Cold Stone Cakes are available in Strawberry Passion, MMMMMint
Chip, Snickers Supreme and Cookie Dough Delirium versions. Cold Stone also offers Two-To-Go items as part of its Cold
Stone To Go Creations line. The offering is comprised of made-to-order combinations of ice cream flavors and mix-ins
available in three sizes (Mine, $5.99; Ours, $7.99; Everybody's $10.99). Checks average $5.
Expansion Plans |
Cold Stone Creamery is developing 20 more stores for the Boston area. The ice cream chain currently has 17 outlets in the
market and hopes to one day have at least 60. (Boston.com 3/16/07)
Cold Stone Creamery plans to expand franchise operations in Massachusetts, with 30 new units planned in the area over the
next three years. The chain is currently seeking franchisees. (Company Release 10/9/07)
Cold Stone Creamery and Soup Kitchen International debuted the first The Original SoupMan/Cold Stone Creamery cobranded
restaurant in New York City. The store, opened November 16 by franchisee Daniel Petryszyn, will serve 50 varieties
of soup as well as premium ice cream. (QSRmagazine.com 11/14/07)
Promotion Plans |
Cold Stone Creamery named Saatchi & Saatchi as its agency of record. Responsibilities include advertising and brand
strategy. (NRN Daily NewsFax 11/21/06)
Cold Stone Creamery premieres its first national integrated ad initiative. Based on the concept that ice cream lovers are
passionate about ice cream, “Love It Love It” ads promote Cold Stone as the prime location to go to for ice cream this summer.
(Business Wire 5/21/07)
Menu Development |
Cold Stone Creamery is developing several items that incorporate new flavors. In Utah, the ice-cream chain tested gummystyle
sorbet in cherry, orange and green apple. The dish tastes like sorbet but changes into the consistency of a gummy candy
in one’s mouth. In addition, the company rolled out a dark chocolate peppermint ice cream for the holidays nationwide and a
cherry blossom flavor at units in Japan this past fall. In the future the company is hoping to roll out a breakfast flavor line in
cinnamon bun and French toast flavors. Cold Stone is also working on a packaged ice-cream creation, tentatively named
Shock A Cone, which will feature Bavarian ice cream with chunks of chocolate and cookie dough. (AZCentral.com 10/23/06)
Cold Stone Creamery is introducing smoothies made with Pepsi Cola’s Mountain Dew. (FoodInstitute.com 6/11/07)
Franchise Activity |
Cold Stone Creamery started franchising V’s Barbershop, a barbershop chain concept. There are five Arizona units of V’s,
which is described as “authentic barbershop[s] providing traditional barbering services at reasonable prices in an upscale and
uniquely masculine environment.” (NRN Daily NewsFax 4/06/07)
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