Cold Stone Creamery - Oswego, IL Review

Bottom-Line: We have made our first and last visit to Cold Stone Creamery; cache isn't everything!

Baskin-Robbins is-in my mind and to my taste buds-the pinnacle of ice cream.  And with 31 delicious flavors, there is something in the shops repertoire to please even the most discerning palate.  The company was established in 1945 and until recently it could boost close to 5,600 stand-a-lone stores in over 40 countries-though I never saw a Baskin-Robbins overseas, sniff, sniff.

But lately I have notice a new ice cream vendor on the block.  And as the traditional stand-a-lone Baskin-Robbins storefronts retreat, this new ice cream shop is expanding with small storefronts, mostly in large malls.  This new store called Cold Stone Creamery promises to give the more established names a run for their ice cream dollar, so-to-speak.     

The Franchise

Cold Stone Creamery, which bills itself as the "Ultimate Ice Cream Experience," was established in 1988 by a couple in Tempe Arizona who allegedly sought ice cream that was neither hard-packed nor soft-serve.  Their idea was to serve a 'smooth and creamy super-premium ice cream' mixed with fresh ingredients prepared right in front of the customer on a cold granite stone; hence the name of the franchise, Cold Stone Creamery.

And indeed the ice cream my wife and I ordered at a nearby storefront was freshly prepared on a long cold granite stone and mixed with nuts, Oreo's and fresh caramel and cream-d-menthe.  At first I didn't know what was going on, but as I observed customer after customer patiently waited while their ice cream was prepared; more on that below.         

The Store

The store-front is small and not really designed for patrons to sit and enjoy their ice cream in the store.  The tables are small and the chair equally as small and uncomfortable.  The tables and chairs are really just a place to sit while your ice cream is being prepared. 

The store is dominated by the huge counter where the ice cream is prepared and the equally as large signs introducing the innocent the plethora of flavors the establishment offers.  Behind the large windowed refrigerator units sit large tubs of base ice cream waiting to be mixed with whatever your heart desires.

As you watch the 'smooth and creamy super-premium ice cream' is taken from the large tubs  with a spade, not a scoop but a spade, and put onto the long cool granite stone for mixing.

The resulting Ice cream is served in a multitude of small Styrofoam cups, waffle cone or cups, and cartons all costing a lot of money (more on that below)!  Cup sizes are one scoop, two scoops and three scoops sizes, and the waffle cones are big and yummy looking.

There are a plethora of mix-in choices. You can select one of the Cold Stone Originals or Create Your Own ice cream mixture. Below is a listing of the flavors and sensations to be had at Cold Stone Creamery.

Prices

Prices at Cold Stone Creamery are a bit on the high side; was that an understatement?  It is almost impossible to leave the store with an ice cream treat for under $3.00.  Let the buyer beware: everything costs extra. I caught on when I first ordered after the counter person asked me if I wanted extra nuts, and an extra Oreo.  I took the nuts ($0.50) and passed on the Oreo.  Here is how it breaks down: for slightly over a little over $3.00, you can purchase the smallest cup size with one mix-in, meaning one ingredient added to you base ice cream flavor. If you want two mix-in's, say cookies and M&M's in a size medium ice cream cup; be prepared to fork over close to $5.00 with tax!

And it's not as if the mix-ins are large and reasonable; indeed most are pretty darn small; for example, with Oreo cookies, one mix-in is two cookies, and extra cookie would have cost me $.50 more!   Six more Oreo's and you can buy an entire bag of Oreo cookies.  As it is two Mine (pints) containers-one for me and another for my wife-cost close to $13.00 out the door.  Could you imagine with that cost would be for a family of four each having (2) mix-ins each?  Close enough to $20.00 to just go ahead and say it would cost $20.00.  A family outing at the Cold Stone Creamery is liable to cost you an entire week's entertainment consignment!  To me it's just not worth it. 

As my wife pointed out to me as we were leaving the store, for the $13.00 we spent in Cold Stone Creamery we could have bought 4 half gallons of ice cream at any of our local grocery stores (Jewel or Dominick's), or 4 pints at Baskin Robbins, or 3 quarts at Baskin Robbins.  And the ice cream would have been better tasting!

Needless to say we have made our first and last visit to Cold Stone Creamery; cache isn't everything!