I don't get coldstone...
 

What I mean by I don't get coldstone is that I don't understand the whole philosophy behind their ice cream.

Okay so they happen to have people who know how to make ice cream in a unique way...

They like to keep the crowd entertained by singing songs...

They have more than just ice cream...

They have Starbucks-esque size names (I forget what they are but I was served by an over-enthusiastic employee who pretended he didn't know what 'medium' meant)

but are these good reasons to overcharge the *#@! out of people?

Ice cream does taste good, but it's ice cream, you can't age ice cream. The only way you improve ice cream is to add sprinkles or nuts or cherries.

Maybe it's because Mrs. mjcewl and I do not have any kids and we can't see the smiles on their faces if we happen to take them there. But if I did have a kid, I would probably take them to a Friendly's or somewhere else where I won't feel like I am getting robbed.

It doesn't really have anything to do with kids. But what ice cream shop now out there now does not over charge. Ben & Jerry's are just as outrageous, and I personally think Cold Stone is better. It tastes good. All I can use for the my reasoning for being overprice.

You get robbed everywhere nowadays. $8 Subway sandwiches, $5 coffee at Charbucks, $4.99 pints of Haagen-Dasz. So a $6 icecream at Coldstone really doesn't stand out much.

Two eggs, toast and coffee is still 99 cents at the Purcellville Diner in my little rural town. ^ The TV usually has the farm futures running as well.

I agree-- they call themselves the "ultimate ice cream experience," but I don't want an experience. Just ice cream.

This is true of lots of places, but the smallest size available is more ice cream than I want and more money than I want to pay. Even the smallest size is more than enough for two to share.

Marble Slab Creamery was much better, but the local ones in the Phoenix area seem to have gone under. Much better quality!

Most of Ben and Jerry's stuff is so much better. :rolleyes: :o

The best ice cream experiance can be had at home. Just buy some ice cream, and have it whenever you feel like it. Breyers suits me fine, and I get a the variety of cones on sale. Perfect everytime. :)

wanted Ice cream this past weekend in SD-found a cold stone-my first one visited-I really just wanted Ice cream and did not need a show.The flavors are for juveniles-bubble gum?The ice cream was OK-but at $5 I would like more than ok.

I had never heard of Friendly's until I did a brief move to Upstate NY. I could have gone the rest of my life without ever going to one. I have never gotten ice cream in the restaurant, but if it's the same as the retail, I'll take cold stone/marble slab any day of the week. Where else can you get cake batter ice cream with cookie dough pieces? Certainly not Baskin Robbins or Dairy Queen.

I don't get someone dropping five bucks aor a cup of coffee that you can't pronounce at Starsucks either, but there are people literally lining up to hand them cash. There are those on the left who cannot fathom why I would even think about drivnig a SUburban, let alone actually go out and buy one.

It's all in what people want, value and are willing to blow take home pay on. For my money, I wouldn't pay a third of what Starsucks is charging. It's all in that you personally value. I pay five bucks for a fruit smoothie at Jamba Juice. Perhaps that's my Starsucks.

I think Cold Stone is overpriced as well, but the Rocky Road equivalent that they sell is calling me...caling me...calling...caling....

--PP

I have a sneaky suspicion that places like Subway are trying to make America fat by driving people to McD's with their high prices... But that's my own little conspiracy theory. :eek:

Coldstone is alright, as is Marble Slab (though they had a Hepatitis A scare here), but I am not a huge "junk" food eater, so I do not frequent them.

As far as Starbuck's goes, I only go in there when I need a quick cup of coffee. Usually I just buy a nice pound of coffee from Whole Foods and drink that though, puts Starbuck's to shame.

I don't get it either. Coldstone is too sweet and heavy. And most importantly, why do we ever need to eat a tub of icecream in a single serving? No wonder this country is half obese. People should appreciate quality and not quantity. Give Ciao Bella a try instead.
http://www.ciaobellagelato.com/

Isn't it all about the kids, especially teenagers? They like anything that seems exclusive and is acquired outside their own house. The more expensive, the better. Teenage girls love their Starbucks - especially the zillion calorie sweet creamy drinks. Give me a modest scoop of Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Daz and I'll be happy.

Back when I lived in SAN, the local coldstone was staffed by perky young high school girls, all pretty. You can tell that the store manager stacked the deck, and consequently a lot of people went there to buy ice cream. The ice cream wasn't anything special though - you're paying to see them work the ice cream with a spatula and sing, essentially.

I worked briefly at a Friendly's restaurant while in college (many years ago) and it pretty much put me off soda fountains / ice cream for life. I like my ice cream out of a Dreyer's tub from my own freezer, thank you. And it's $5 for a half-gallon, not $5 a cone.

This is a country where people routinely spend $5 on a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone "because I'm worth it," drive $40,000 SUVs that need $75 worth of premium gas per fill-up "because I need it," then get their homes foreclosed "because I'm broke."

Hmmm...ice cream...I am drooling just thinking about it :) and cold stone, whew. That's rich. But I guess to enjoy that goodness you have to endure singing teenagers, some of them want to be singing and twirling a spatula around, and some of them dread it. But regardless, personally, its worth it.

for me
1. soft serve ice cream, like carvel
2. traditional frozen custard
3. hard ice cream (dont care for it at all really, unless its on top of something at a restaurant)

and i only get chocolate, or vanilla with sundae/at restaurant, so the whole "10 billion flavor" thing has no appeal for me. coldstone and ben and jerry's definitely go for the weird combinations---peanut butter cherry pie anyone? :D and baskin robbins is starting to go that route as well it seems.

You can also use higher quality ingrediants and increase the butterfat content.

coldstone i don't get.
it's like a cheap marble slab imitation.
marble slab rocks my world...but i don't go very often--doesn't go hand in hand with my svelte figure. :D

We used to always make it a point to go to Cold Stone every time we were in Las Vegas back when there weren't very many of them around. Now there's a Cold Stone in my town and I go there maybe once a year. It's good, but there was something about the novelty factor that was a big appeal for me. I'd rather have a pint of Haagen-Dazs at home.

Sir,

Do they also have real country ham? If so, I might have to make a several hundred mile detour one of these days.

As long as people are paying it, they aren't charging too much. I don't get it either, but apparently lots of people do, I've never seen one empty.

The €4 or the £2.50 cup of coffee are not uncommon.

I'm not a fan of Coldstone...give me Ben and Jerry's anyday...

In Australia we have Cold Rock ice creamery- must be one of those international franchising or patent issues, but it sure looks like the same kind of stuff!
But then I prefer Baskin Robbins anyway.....! :)

This is true. You can forget about getting ice cream in there when colleges are out for spring break, break, etc. or summer weeknights. I mean kids are just in there like locusts.

You've never seen that before? Baskin-Robbins had bubble gum ice cream back in the early 80's. There were even pieces of bubble gum mixed in with the ice cream as an, um, "post-dessert snack." :p If I ate that now, I'd probably puke.

Cold Stone is the most common franchise in Denver, but Mrs. Swede and I prefer Maggie Moo's.

If you want just ice cream, go to the grocery and pick up a pint. If you want a coffee ice cream with peanut butter, chocolate syrup and chocolate chip cookie dough mixed in, go to Cold Stone. It's that simple.

For a while US Airways was giving away discount coupons for
Coldstone Creamery. I gave all mine away.

Baskin Robbins Chocolate Mint ice cream is all I ever need. :)

A tablespoon of Haagen Daz coffee ice cream. I can dress it up with chocolate syrup, but either way I love it. Back a long time ago I would go to Baskin Robbins for Jamoca almond fudge, single dip wasn't too expensive then. Our downfall was learning how to make homemade stuff that was better than anything bought. Usually vanilla or rum raisin. The ice cream maker was the one you keep part of it in the freezer all the time, forget the brand, but it's easy.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is the best I've ever had. Oh so creamy and good. ^

i suppose its the same as paying out of your pocket for domestic F. not really that great and you can get about the same effect by bringing takeout and a nice pillow. but there are those that think its worth the $$$.

How the he*l do they make any money? Is a coffee five bucks? I understand casinos luring people in with such deals, but a local diner? Do they use grade B eggs? Do they even make grade B eggs?

I hear you on the novelty factor. Same thing with In n' Out in the Bay Area for me...

:confused: :confused: eggs dont cost that much. at most $2 a dozen. toast = a slice of bread. and coffee, well, is cheap black coffee.

Maybe it's all in the marketing.

Mmmm ColdStone.... the first time I went to a ColdStone was in some cutesy-touristy LI town. Those guys knew how to work the crowd and mush, er I mean chop the ice cream just so. My husband told the clerk that he'd give them a tip of they didn't sing. So, they were silent. :)

The ColdStones around here just don't have that mushing-touch. :(

I think Coldstone's Ice Cream quality is the pits...I'd much rather stop by Safeway and pick up a pint of HD or B&J's.