Ok, I will bite, what on earth do they sing while preparing your ice cream?

Same opinion here, the only time I've ever had it, it was so sweet I had to throw it out after a few spoonfuls. Seems Coldstone does quite well in tourist spots. Every time I'm in Waikiki the Coldstones there are packed but I never hear any singing.

Looking at it another way, it's actually quite the bargain. Order a medium or large scoop, load it up with bits and pieces of this and that, slather on some chocolate or fruit sauce and voila! - your 2,000 calorie daily intake for under $10!

Just pray you don't get hungry again later.

Seriously, I've tried it a few times and its way to heavy for my taste. I prefer a lighter ice cream texture.

The most annoying nursery rhyme type of song is sung while your ice cream is being prepared. For 10 seconds it is cute, by 15 seconds you are thinking, "ok this needs to stop", and after 20 seconds, you become homicidal.
This isn't American Idol....just shut up and give me my freakin over priced ice cream !

They don't sing at my local Coldstone and the girls aren't that good looking either naybe I need to go to another location. I go there for the toppings they mix in. Sure I can buy ice cream, but it would be a pain to buy bananas and strawberries and graham crackers to mix in. That is the appeal for me. The ice cream itself is nothing special.

I've never once been to a coldstone. Are there any in San Francisco? All this talk is giving me a hankering for any kind of ice cream.

In case you ever want real ice cream and are in the Bay Area, check out Mitchell's on San Jose and 29th in San Francisco's Mission district. It's not a chain, no songs are sung, just great ice cream and a long line.

They rip off really classic tunes such as The Flintstones and make it sound really catchy, when in fact it's really annoying.

Hi everyone! I like Cold Stone, because I dont' know where else they have cake batter ice cream.

This sounds very disgusting just reading about it.

MisterNice

Never heard of "cake batter" ice cream. Now I'm really interested. There's one on 119 Ellis St. in downtown SF. A visit is in my future.

They sing basically to beg for tips. It's bad enough to have tip jar at self-service counters instead of sit down places, it's really bad when they resort to this. Read the following:

http://www.famousfamily.com/mark/coldstone.html

Tasaka Guri Guri in the Maui Mall, Kahului, Hawai'i.

2 scoops for $1. Ono-licious.

Rip yes. Other equal rips: definitely. Here we have Lappert's. Boring run-of-the-mill stuff, out the door (with a topping) at about $7 a cone. We laugh when we see the tourists pulling in. They are never very busy, but I guess at $7 a cone, they don't need to be.

One of the joys of travelling is finding ice cream shops. Coldstone just does not cut it nor does Ben and Jerry's when experimenting. I can get those here.

The best I ever had chocolate/banana gelato. What a bloody taste treat.

Try finding universities with agriculture programs. Michigan State University makes their own ice cream for sale on campus and it is awesome. I have heard the same about Penn State. Anybody know of others?

Last I heard, University of Georgia raves about their creamery.

Virginia Tech as well.

Cold Stone's about the best I've got near me, unfortunately. I always order the smallest size in a cup and yet I can't ever finish it-the ONLY ice cream place I've ever had that experience. Their flavor choices are limited, but they do have Peanut Butter, which is a little different. (Cake Batter, uh, not for me, thanks!)

Now, that singing! Aughh!! Can't stand it!!! Certainly doesn't inspire any desire to tip in me-unless it would be to tip them NOT to sing...

BUT they do give a free birthday treat ;) and it's kind of nice to occasionally go out just for dessert instead of dinner, and they're lots nicer (and cleaner, I think) than the Baskin & Robbins locations near my house.

I've always figured that the reason Coldstone has all the add-ons available is that their ice cream isn't all that good. And it is way over priced.
I'd rather have the $1.00 ice cream sundae at McDonald's.

I noticed one just openned up down the street. Thanks FT, I am not going now because I do not want to be sang at-how dumb.

The Cold Stone near me doesn't have any singing.

I'm embarrassed and I don't even work there. :eek:

My mother-in-law used to rave about the ice cream made and sold by University of New Hampshire's School of Agriculture.

I confess, I enjoy Cold Stone's ice cream. But I usually only get the smallest size offered and usually go maybe once every 3 months or so. Yes, $5 for ice cream is a lot, which is why it's a special treat for me.

What I like about their ice cream is all the creative combinations that they have. I had a peanut butter and chocolate combo the last time I was there and it was quite tasty. :)

University of Wisconsin - Madison. Excellent, of course!

"I do not want to be sang at" - how dumb:D :D :D

I went to Coldstone a few times in LEX (town, not airport) and I don't remember any singing. Not done everywhere?

I second this! Bascom Hall ice cream gotten at the UW Student Union. You can sit on the Terrace and look out over Lake Mendota. Of course, a Capitol Brewery beer in hand is also good...

I too confess that I like Coldstone. The prices aren't too extreme in my book (like another member mentioned Starbucks takes the cake) and for the amount i go there (maybe once every few months), I don't mind paying $5 for my ice cream. That being said, the singing just pisses me off. I was at a Coldstone in Napa, CA, and a few teenagers found it amusing to come in and give a tip (without ordering anything) just to hear them sing :td:

Growing in Upstate NY and the northeast ingeneral--you NEVER went to Friendly's for the food--always the ice crea,--which was great. Fribbles, the sundaes, the watermelon slices (ice cream that looked like watermelon). It blows away Cold Stone. What ever happen to the Mom and Pops stores? I despise the corporate placeslike Cold stone00refuse to pay $5 for crappy ice cream. I agree with the guy about Breyers--I can get a half gallon for $3 at the store and it suits me just great

Oversized servings, ice cream that is too rich and too sweet, not many flavors,
expensive.

My family loves Coldstone but given a choice, I'll eat my ice cream elsewhere.

(The ambience is almost always very upbeat though, so if you need a lift, stop in!)

Do you have an airport for real planes ?

I also enjoy Coldstone for an occasional treat. It's always busy in Gainesville - this is a college city, so students run amok. Our Coldstone employees only sing to you if you tip. They always greet you as you come in, and gives you exactly the combo you want, which is what I like... double caramel and chocolate fudge, in sweet cream ice cream, with heath bar and butterfinger mixed in...yummmmm....

I can only eat the small size as well, and go in 2 or three times a year. But it is very sweet and thick and creamy :)

Am I the only one out there who doesn't want to design his own ice cream?

I'm happy to pay for premium scoops (and am spoiled with the options in Boston), but one of the things I want for my money is an inventive flavor combination. For me, the Cold Stone concept falls flat, because none of the ingredients are interesting.

Give me the local stores that sell burnt caramel and fresh garden mint and guinness ice creams, served with a surly New England glare :D

I have to say that the Cold Stone version of cookies and cream was about the worst that I had ever tasted. I only finished about 1/4 of it and I am normally the type of person who leaves nothing behind.

If you are looking for a similar concept (and without the singing), Marble Slab is much much better.

No singing at the Cold Stone by our place, we actually live between three of them, and they are all all just tired HS kids schlepping out the ice cream.

We usually only get it when we can use the coupon on the back of the movie ticket we used that day. And we don't watch many movies.

I guess there's supposed to be some novelty to the whole idea of getting some "special" ice cream. I guess it's okay, but I don't crave it. The fact that we live between three of them is like TSS (The Starbucks Syndrome): way too many locations and wayyyy overpriced.

Not that I am being some coffee and ice cream snob, but they've been marketed so that people think it's something they need to add to their daily routine. Climb into EssYouVee. Go to drive-thru at MickeyDs so the kids get a healthy breakfast. Go to drive-thru at Fourbucks to get a half cafe doppio ristretto icy chillatta blended soy. Drop off kids at school that is one block away from house. Etc....

some cold stones are great, some not so great, I actually prefer Maggie Moos.