What's up with this place?  I've noticed most of the locations in Chicago have closed down.  There's lots of speculation from yelp posting of health code violations to a recent WSJ article saying franchisers fell short of expectations on their investment.  I used to like this place, but overtime I started to get an aversion.  Kind of that "I ate way to much cake feeling."  The stuff always seems way too rich.  It's  unusual for me since I like ice cream and can finish of a quart of it with no problem. 

I'm curious how this chain is doing where you live

 

While I may not be right, here's my own opinion why locations here in Chicago struggled

 

1.  We are a cold city most of the year.  The casual consumer will probably avoid it.  Meanwhile, specialty locations downtown (Ghirardelli) will do quite well regardless of the temperature outside.  This also includes local or regional chains with a dedicated customer base.

 

2.  It's the opposite of healthy.  I think people rather not be tempted and may just avoid the place altogether.

 

3.  Fro-Yo craze has inundated the Chicago market more than ever in the past year or two.  I actually feel confident in saying that fro yo establishments actually made a dent in mitigating street level retail vacancies through the recession.  Essentially these establishments are plentiful and "healthy appearing" they have removed many customers from chain ice cream parlors.  Some fro yo establishments are already replacing vacant coldstones

 

4.  Besides frozen deserts, other competition includes the fresh wave of cupcake stores opening all throughout Chicago.  First there was More, and now Sprinkle which have lines out the door.  Though probably not as healthy like Coldstone's ice cream, they are well defined servings, which make it more attractive.

 

 

The only Cold Stone Creamery that I'm familiar with in Fort Wayne is at the Jefferson Pointe "Lifestyle Center." The whole development is only a few years old, and although it's still attractively maintained and well landscaped, it already has the smell of death on it; there are manymany vacancies, and some big food-and-drink establishments have already pulled out, including some of the steak-and-booze chain franchises in free-standing outlot stores.

 

I don't go to Jefferson Pointe often, except on occasional Saturday nights to hang out at Barnes & Noble (I don't have a life). The whole "center" is pretty sparse then except for surges of people going to and from the Rave Cinema, and many stores are closed then. Last week I went on a Saturday during the day, and was surprised at the amount of foot traffic. Cold Stone was doing a booming business, probably the only place with a more traffic than the Verizon store.

I go to Mitchell's, haven't walked right up to the counter all summer.  Can't speak of Coldstone's in Cleveland metro, but they're all still open, not sure how busy they are..

Stoooooone coooooooooooold

 

I thought I knew you so well

^^The Cold Stone at Eton Collection on Chagrin closed and is now B Spot (Michael Symon's burger joint).

 

I call reading an article a while back suggesting they expanded too rapidly and many of the franchisee's felt there had been mutiple mispresentation at the inception and ongoing and many are in trouble. 

I was at the one in Strongsville a few months ago.  Though expensive, it really can hit the spot.

I live in Maryland these days, but the Cold Stone across the street from Arundel Mills appears to be doing just fine. Mind you, Arundel Mills is 3 miles away from Ft Meade, the largest employment center in Maryland, and there are tons of Ft Meade ancillary uses around Arundel Mills, but yeah, Arundel Mills is hopping.

Looks like there are three locations here in the immediate Boston area, with a couple more in outer suburbs. Sure enough, a Google Maps search turns up five other locations in Boston that apparently have closed down. I can't really offer any theories why, although local the ice cream market seems a but unstable in general. There is at least one local chain and several favored individual joints, but other local places have also closed or otherwise been shuffled around.

 

I've only been to Cold Stone once, at The Greene back in Beavercreek. It was good, but otherwise I don't usually bat an eye at the place.

I worked w/a guy that looked at investing in them a few years back. He's got a few DQ locations already. He said the cost structure / overhead of the places made it very hard to turn a profit. Probably explains why I couldn't get out of there for less than $20 w/the kids.

There's one that I know of in the Cincinnati area, at the shopping center in Newport. There used to be one up in Clifton Heights by the university but it closed a few years ago. I don't know why, though, they always seemed to do good business with all the college kids around.

I call reading an article a while back suggesting they expanded too rapidly and many of the franchisee's felt there had been mutiple mispresentation at the inception and ongoing and many are in trouble. 

 

Thats what I head.  I know they where looking at Shaker Square, Buckeye and Larchmere.  A franchisee renovated space on 125 and 5th avenue.  The whole nine yards, store never opened. 

Coldstone is a great idea, but 20 years too late. I've seen a few commercials on TV for them and all I can see is morbidly obese people wolfing down ice cream. It's 2010, and people are trying to eat and live healthier!

 

I think in general even American fast food 'cuisine' is getting healthier; recently I've noticed:

 

*The malls near where I live (Parmatown and Great Northern) are slowly replacing their chains in the foodcourt with fresher, healthier food choices.

*Most chain coffee houses have gone from whole milk to 2% and actually carry skim and soy milk.

*Most fast food chains now offer some sort of salad on their menu.

 

But then you have Coldstone, an ice cream shop which is expensive in both the waistline and wallet.  I've visited once, and while its delicious, its not for me.

There's one that I know of in the Cincinnati area, at the shopping center in Newport. There used to be one up in Clifton Heights by the university but it closed a few years ago. I don't know why, though, they always seemed to do good business with all the college kids around.

 

Someone once said (maybe on this forum) that Cincinnati can't really support more than UDF and Greaters.  We don't have a lot of super-hot weather so the peak ice cream season is pretty short.  Other than a few Dairy Queens and independent creamy whips, there's not much else.  Ben & Jerry's closed all of their area locations as well.

We have 2 Cold Stone's in SF..both in touristy areas.  There were several more a few years ago, but they closed. Locals are real sticklers for local brands, especially on ice cream.  For the local favorites, like Bi-Rite, the lines can be a block or more long at any time of the day. We seem to enjoy waiting in lines here.

 

In the SF suburbs Cold Stone appears to be doing a landslide business.  They are in all the shopping centers, and many in downtowns. My only other experience with them  has been in Palm Springs, where anything cold does a great business.  It was a madhouse there.

I worked w/a guy that looked at investing in them a few years back. He's got a few DQ locations already. He said the cost structure / overhead of the places made it very hard to turn a profit. Probably explains why I couldn't get out of there for less than $20 w/the kids.

 

You need to move to the westside my friend. I take my kids down to the resturant at the Marina in the Metro parks. 3 kiddie cones and a 16 oz Dortmunder for me. $7.50 out the door.

I worked w/a guy that looked at investing in them a few years back. He's got a few DQ locations already. He said the cost structure / overhead of the places made it very hard to turn a profit. Probably explains why I couldn't get out of there for less than $20 w/the kids.

 

You need to move to the westside my friend. I take my kids down to the resturant at the Marina in the Metro parks. 3 kiddie cones and a 16 oz Dortmunder for me. $7.50 out the door.

 

Which is why I don't go to Coldstone (well, that, and it closed).  I don't have the luxury of a ice cream / beer combo. On the east side, we typically like to pair ours with a nice Malbec.

Which is why I don't go to Coldstone (well, that, and it closed). I don't have the luxury of a ice cream / beer combo. On the east side, we typically like to pair ours with a nice Malbec.

 

Yuppie.....

Coldstone seems to still be alive and kicking in LA, despite the surge in fro yo since I moved here 4 years ago.  Saw one out in Palm Springs a couple weeks ago two and it had a line out the door.

Since most fro-yo places charge by the pound, I wonder if they are more profitable than your typical one scoop, double scoop type of places.  It's difficult for the average American to know what a pound of ice cream looks like, so they'll heap the dish full unsuspecting of price.  When they get to the register, "oh damn, $9.50!"  Business wins!  I was at this fro-yo place in wicker park and my dish was pretty low.  It was not even to the top of the dish after the oreos got added.  I only kept it low to save money, while I guess a side benefit is less calories, fat, etc.  But this chick next to me had hers filled pretty high.  She looked at mine, and you could tell she was really embarrassed.  Maybe paying by weight will force more Americans to eat less.  I like to think that eventually people will change their habits and you'll see America's waistlines beginning to shrink.

I don't think cold stone is really contributing to our nation's obesity problems. Rather,  cheap fast food Is more responsible as it is prevalent, especially in poorer areas where you might see higher rates of obesity than wealthier.  8 or 9 bucks/dessert serving  is simply too expensive for most people to have regularly

 

when I'm in westlake or strongsville, both of which are affluent areas and have cold stone stores, I just don't see that many fat people compared to poorer suburbs.  I also don't see as many fast good chains on every corner.  There is clearly some correlation..

 

Think of it this way - how many obese people go to XO or Hyde Park compared to Wendys or IHOP. 

I know the Cold Stone Creamery in Eton closed (mentioned before), but I believe the Cold Stone Creamery in University Heights is still open.  I couldn't tell you what kind of business it does since I never go there.  I'll take my money to Honey Hut (I wish there was one on the east side) or Mitchell's (or even Ben and Jerry's if I feel like throwing money away) if I want hard ice cream.  Cold Stone just tastes nasty to me.  Way too rich and creamy.  It just doesn't taste like good ice cream and the few times I've gotten it I haven't been able to finish it (and I love ice cream).  I wouldn't care if they all closed down.  More business for the people making real ice cream.

^ Ditto. Worst "ice cream" I've ever had.

coldstones are still around? i thought i read that like blockbuster they were finally just about done for? i guess they can hang on in touristy places.

 

ny is the opposite of an ice cream town, its always been all about the fro-yo and other frozen stuff likes icy's, mochi and gelato, etc.

 

i saw this place way downtown in hanover sq yesterday while we were at the guinness oyster festival because we were standing around right in front of it. it stuck me because it seems to be the latest in fro-yo:

 

http://www.facebook.com/yorganic#!/yorganic?v=info

Coldstone is overrated and overpriced.  Give me a local place like Toft's in Sandusky or Chilly Willy's in bustling North Monroeville, Ohio. :D

Ahem.

 

Three words

 

Fudgy...The...Whale.....B!tch!

 

Ok, that's 4 words.

 

 

 

Coldstone is unspectacular and way too expensive, so needless to say it's been a long time since I've had it. Maybe we're spoiled with Jeni's, Denise's, Graeters, and now Whit's (frozen custard, not ice cream originally only in Granville and a must-visit with Denison). I'm mostly surprised by the popularity of this thread.

cookiepuss!  :mrgreen:

 

 

 

I'm headed there tonight for the same milkshake I've gotten from them for the past 8 years. Sweet Cream ice cream with cinnamon, hot fudge and Oreo bits.

 

I love how quickly people jump on bandwagons of denouncement.

^ I just think they have a bad product.

 

`hey let's take your ice cream, mush it around on the table for a couple minutes, and charge you twice as much as we should. Oh, and let's make you feel awkward about tipping with uncomfortable singing. `