The first Cold Stone Creamery was opened in Tempe, Arizona, in 1988 by Donald and Susan Sutherland (no, not that Donald Sutherland). Opening an ice cream shop in Arizona seems almost like a sure thing-it shouldn't have to be anything too fancy. However, the couple wasn't happy with the ice cream that was available at the time. Instead of offering either unremarkable soft-serve or boring, traditional hard-packed ice cream, they decided that their store would only carry the freshest, highest quality ice cream around-with a new twist.
Calling every item they serve a "Creation," the ice cream is made fresh daily and blended on a frozen granite stone with your choice of fruits, nuts, candy, cookies, brownies, and more. You can order yours in one of three sizes: Like It, Love It, or Gotta Have It, and you can opt to eat yours out of a plain cup or choose from a number of chocolate-dipped and topped waffle cone cups. As if that wasn't enough variety for you, they also offer ice cream cupcakes, ice cream cookie sandwiches, shakes, iced and blended coffees, and a selection of healthier, fruit-based smoothies. To top it all off, this particular Cold Stone Creamery location also houses a Tim Horton's, carrying nearly everything that a full-sized Tim Horton's can offer.
In other words, if you don't have any idea what you want when you walk into this place, you might be in trouble.
Speaking of walking in, once you enter the store it is apparent that a great deal of thought went into the design and decoration. Everything is very modern, from the custom-printed wallpaper to the lack of a standard menu board; instead, several LCD televisions display your options along with loads of mouth-watering, high-definition images of the finished products. The store is very well lit, pop music plays on the overhead speakers, and the floors are tiled with a beautiful grey stone. The atmosphere is fun and inviting, making it a great place for a family outing or a meetup with friends.
We decided to visit Cold Stone before heading to the movies this past Friday, although this wasn't by any means our first time. I had never been there on a Friday night, though, so I was shocked to see how busy they were. Despite the long line, the store was well staffed and they seemed to be finishing orders rather quickly. We hardly had a wait at all, and I decided to stray from my normal, too-rich create-your-own combo (dark chocolate ice cream with white chocolate chips, almonds, and graham cracker crust). Having never had one, I wanted to try one of their seven Sinless Smoothies. I chose the "2 to Mango," which features real mango and pineapple blended with ice and a bit of juice...pretty standard for a smoothie. If you haven't caught on yet, Cold Stone Creamery doesn't do "pretty standard." All of their smoothies are sweetened with Splenda instead of sugar, leaving them low-calorie as well as fat-free. In addition, you have the option of adding a supplement boost of either energy, antioxidant, protein, or anti-stress ingredients to your drink. In case you couldn't guess, I chose an energy shot.
While the girl who took my order rushed off to blend the customized cool concoction, two other staff members took care of my companions. By the time my drink was finished, their (far less healthy) Creations were also ready to go, and we were checked out at the register as fast as could be. As I said before, my past visits to the store found them far less busy so I was impressed to see how efficiently they were able to handle the crowd.
We shuffled off to one of the cafe-style tables along the side of the store to dive into our treats. I did try one of my companion's Creations, as she ordered it served in a rainbow-sprinkle-encrusted chocolate-dipped waffle cone (I usually forgo the added indulgence). Just as every time before, the dark chocolate ice cream was smooth and decadently rich. There were chunks of cookie dough, chocolate chips, and a drizzle of hot fudge blended throughout the dish, and I almost regretted not ordering one of my own. There was something not quite right about the waffle cone, though; we couldn't tell if it was stale or just too soft, but in the end it went uneaten.
Before I go any further, I feel like I would be leaving something out if I don't go into a bit more detail about the ice creams. As I mentioned before, all of the ice creams are made fresh daily, in-store. And, the flavors they offer are a bit out of the ordinary; it's not everywhere you can order Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, French Toast, Oreo Creme Filling, or Strawberry Cheesecake ice creams (although when we tried the Cheesecake, it left a sour aftertaste that stuck with us for hours...I suppose not every flavor is a winner). When it comes to toppings that you can add to your Creation, they have far too many to list. Things like cookie dough, fresh blueberries, macadamia nuts, peach pie filling, and nearly two dozen candy and candy bar mix-ins make for an endless variety of combinations. In addition, Cold Stone offers a number of "Healthy Indulgences," made either with fat-free, sugar-free ice cream or sorbets mixed with your choice of fresh fruit. I wasn't aware of that fact when I visited, or else I might have ordered one of those instead of a smoothie.
As far as my smoothie goes, I don't have any regrets; it was absolutely delicious. I've had smoothies with too much of one ingredient or another, that were either too sweet or not sweet enough, and some that were just too artificial-tasting. This smoothie tasted as fresh as advertised, and I could pick out the distinct flavors of both the mango and the pineapple. It wasn't too icy or watery, and I noticed the energy shot taking effect almost immediately. If it weren't for the fact that the "Like It" size I ordered costs nearly $5, I could see myself drinking these on a daily basis.
In all, we had a great experience, the treats were good, and we will definitely be going back. Granted, I will probably visit Dietsch's and Archie's more often than Cold Stone; their offerings are far more affordable, and they are both amazing in their own right. Cold Stone Creamery will likely end up being more of a "special occasion" type of place for me. In fact, I have already picked out which one of their many Signature Ice Cream Cakes I want for my next birthday (of course, there is no way I'm waiting that long to return).
On the subject of birthdays: You can sign up on the Cold Stone Creamery website to be mailed a coupon good for a free Creation on your birthday, and when you come in to claim your present they also sing you a "Happy Birthday" song. Of course, you don't have to wait for your birthday to hear the staff sing...they also sing a "Thank You" song every time you put a tip in the "Tip Jar." Yes, you read that right-Every. Single. Time. Don't tell them you heard that from us.
Cold Stone Creamery is located at 1040 Interstate Ct. (behind Denny's and The Cracker Barrel) and can be reached at 419-424-5995. This location features a drive-thru, and is open Mon.-Fri. from 5am-11pm and Sun. from , 6am-10pm. If you are new to Cold Stone Creamery, we suggest visiting their website at www.ColdStoneCreamery.com where you can find a full menu as well as nutritional data and more.
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