Audio By Carbonatix
Cold Stone Creamery execs are perhaps the only people celebrating today’s wintry weather, perfectly timed to coincide with the nationwide rollout of its first-ever heated desserts.
“It’s in our favor that it’s such a cold day,” says Veronica Graves, clarifying the chain’s not to blame for the record snowfalls and remarkably cold temperatures:
“Obviously, we didn’t plan it, ” Graves adds. “We can’t control the weather.”
But if they could, they couldn’t have ordered up a better day to start serving warm churros, funnel cake, chocolate lava cake and a hot brownie sundae — all of which sound infinitely more appealing than a strawberry ice cream cone when it’s 14 degrees outside.
“People still want an indulgence when it’s cold,” Graves says. “It adds to our seasonality.”
Graves says a few Cold Stone customers crave ice cream in winter months, but concedes, “Typically, winter is not our best season.”
The microwaved pastries — all of which are topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped topping and coordinated garnishes — will retail for $4.99 through the end of April, when franchisees will set the price.
