Cold Stone Creamery

I have mixed feelings about Cold Stone. A few years back, service was always wonderful, staff was cheerful and ice cream was to die for. Now, we walk in with a quick hello though we were the only customers. We were asked what our order would be before even browsing the menu or flavors, and awkwardly stared at until we decided. We quickly placed our order, feeling put under (a bit of) pressure. Our ice cream was mixed and dished quickly, it was the register that took awhile. We asked last minute to get a shake to our order, and the cashier looked shocked when we asked to add something such last minute. I understand that its inconvenient, but at least keep your «customer service» face on…
After our shake was added, our total was TWENTY dollars for TWO ice creams and a shake.
Sitting at an indoor table, the tabletop was messy and sticky with other people’s ice cream (ew!), another customer came in and turned out to be a friend of the staff. We listened, unwillingly, to a very loud conversation between the two which was just ridiculous. They went on the whole time we were there, and were so loud that my husband and I felt we couldn’t even hear ourselves talking.
I really do love Cold Stone’s ice cream. It is beyond legendary, and always a treat to get. However, shoveling my face with a treat that cost nearly 50¢ a bite is not my idea of a good time. Especially if the atmosphere is so unprofessional from the staff.

Awesome… simply awesome. The «Founders Favorite» — Sweet Crème ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and a brownie all smashed up and in your mouth.
So good. So good.

Presentation is key! Front door signage is peeling. Indoor/​outdoor tables dirty and sticky. Walls were even dirty. It appears management and employees take no pride in their workplace. The staff wasn’t even friendly. This probably explains why it wasn’t even busy on a hot Saturday afternoon.

Cake batter and peanut butter is very good!!! If you mix multiple ice creams together they give you a bigger amount! :) friendly ppl. I would say I strong 8 out of 10.

I used to be a manager at a Cold Stone in northern Washington and after moving to Portland I was excited when a friend asked me to visit their local creamery! This initial visit was nearly 3 years ago and despite the dozen or more times since, the experience just has not improved.
This store lacks the atmosphere that cold Stone is known for and the employees attitudes are sub-​par. They have no understanding of customer service or how to «deliver and experience». Someone really needs to step in before this place (like many others) are replaced with Sub-​Zero or Marble Slab… Who have maintained the reputation Cold stone once donned.

Meh.
This is a chain style ice cream parlor, so it’s the same no matter the location. I only came here because I had gotten lost on my way to Target and was feeling emotional. .. so the little and I decided we should fix the situation by getting ice cream. So, anyways, like I said, there is nothing special about this location. We were not greeted upon entering, even though we were the only ones there. The staff was very blah and didn’t engage us at all. Also, I paid $ 13 for two medium sized basic ice creams. what a joke. definitely will not eat my feelings here again.

Am I the only one who feels guilty making the employee mix my ice cream by hand??? It looks like hard work and I feel like a slavedriver making someone mix it for me. It reminds me of how in the old days people had to wash their cloths, or churn butter by hand. It’s 2014, isn’t there a better way? I am worried that they are going to pop a blood vessel in their forearms or something.
So its been years since I have been to Cold Stone. I used to think it was great. I decided to go back because I wanted to search out the best ice cream places in Vancouver for my blog…
And after I went back after all these years, I got to say that I was kinda let down. I don’t know if I am not remembering clearly, or if the quality has gone down. But the ice cream didn’t seem that fresh. It seemed kinda icy. It is pretty pricy and there wasn’t very much room to sit down in this shop.
Brandon

Ice cream was pretty good but one of the employees was a little off. What I mean by ‘a little off’ was she had a very nasty attitude towards my friend and made him feel pretty uncomfortable. The nice young lady who took my order was fine, but the heavier set employee really needs to check herself. Or at least the management needs to reevaluate their employees.

Went in to this cold stone with my boyfriend as a treat out since we’ve been pinching pennies. As soon as we walked in there was a lot of tenseness in the room. The manager was looking over the two employees shoulders the entire time were making my order. The manager even reprimended the poor girl that was making my ice cream for putting too much in my cup. We paid close to $ 14 for two ice creams and my cup wasn’t close to full. I DO NOT appreciate a manager that can get upset with an employee on the floor in front of a co worker of hers and employees. I will be calling tomorrow to speak to corporate about how the manager handled the situation but I cannot express how sad I was for these gird having to work with that manager.

A week later and I still haven’t heard from whoever is in charge. I’m in the middle of discussing my issue with whoever runs the Cold Stone official facebook page.

We don’t visit Coldstone often… it is a real treat due to cost. However, we saw their new sundays, with the funnel cake and the chorizos and decided to go in.
The woman who made the treats was tentative and I watched her as she warmed both bases of the sundays for a full 4 minutes. The sundays looked appetizing; however both the funnel cake and the chorizo were frozen in parts and cold most all over. I have called repeatedly and had to leave a message to never be returned. I have emailed Coldstone via the website. No one has gotten back to me.
I made it clear in my contact that I felt the practices to make the treat were the issue, not the woman who made them. However, if no one gets back to me, that information is going nowhere. I’m sure my party was not the only one to experience this issue. If my suspicions are accurate, then many customers have been disappointed and not returned. I would be surprised if this product sells well at all.
In the past when we have come, sometimes they fill the cup most of the way, sometimes it’s overflowing and far too large for the size ordered and everywhere in between. They have no consistency in quality, size, or the amount of ad-​ins used. It can vary greatly. After seeing how little response I received regarding my concerns with receiving undercooked food, I think they have lost my business.

For those that don’t know it is illegal to ask customer that use a Visa or Mastercard Debit/​Credit Card to make a purchase, if the card is properly signed, the signature comparison is the verification that you have the right owner. If it is a company’s policy to ask for ID a sign indicating so needs to be present. this establishment asks for ID and does not have sign that states that. When i asked the clerks about this illegal practice i was talked very rudely by the two employees in this store. I did ask for the owners contact information and was told to contact them via web site, which is unacceptable in my opinion. They really don’t care about the customer. Save your money and go to Sheridan’s Frozen Custard down the street.

Delicious ice cream, would get five stars except it’s really expensive.

Okay okay. In the past I’ve said that it would be very rare for me to give 5 stars… when it comes to ice cream, this place is top-​notch.
Upon entering, the smell alone makes me want to order one of everything. The store is pretty tiny, and there is usually a line half way out of the door… but this is for very good reason. Any one with half of a brain won’t let any line make you turn back around and choose somewhere else. This is THE place for an ultimate ice cream experience!
The menu is a little overwhelming at first glance, but please don’t let this stop you. Although they have a variety of shakes, smoothies, blended coffees and make-​your –own ice creations, I highly recommend deciding from their list of Signature Creations. The only reason NOT to choose one of these tasty treats is how silly you’ll feel when you order. «May I please get a Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some… in a ‘Love It’?!»
Once you tell them what you want they scoop out the ice cream and make it right in front of you on a frozen stone as not to melt the ice cream (Hence, Cold Stone).
Every time I order I can’t help but to get the Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some… but I replace the sweet cream ice cream with cake batter ice cream. One again a highly recommended move. Nothing has ever tasted more amazing.
A giant heap of cake batter ice cream, a plentiful sprinkling of chocolate chips, a big wad of cookie dough (the amazing kind!), a swirl of fudge and caramel and then it’s mashed together and tossed in a bowl.
Perfection.
And their ice cream cakes… I haven’t been able to afford one yet (over $ 30 for a really small one), but one day I dream I’ll be able to. They look amazing.
If you’re in a rush, get your ice cream to go. But let them know before they make it so they put it in the right size bowl and put a lid on it. Or, if you have a few friends or kids waiting at home for the same flavor you can buy any one of their ice creams (Signature and create-​your-​own) in a tub, size of your choosing. Very spendy, but if you’re worried about spending too much you really shouldn’t be here in the first place if you get what I’m saying. You’ll be out about $ 5 per person.
I really don’t know why I’m telling you to go to this place. The less people that go, the more of it I’ll have to myself. I’m changing my review. Go away.
** Just a side note, if you tip them, they’ll sing. This is always fun at first… but after a while the cheesy ice cream references thrown into the Flintstones theme song gets old. But it’s an ice cream parlor, what are you going to do?

The IM window popped up with a bing: «Hi, whatcha doing?»
«Hey, I’ve been reading up on some new rendering styles I’m thinking of trying for school…»
I wasn’t lying per se, the firefox tab on Dezeen was still open, but on top of it was the latest Cosmo Quiz «Are you girlfriend potential?» Even academic types have their weaknesses, and mine happens to be borderline sassy, wholly unrealistic, mildly amusing personality assessments. My old roommate (whose friends subscribed him to the magazine for a year as a joke) would leave the latest copy out and sometimes we’d laugh and see what was in the stars for us that month. Half joking, half serious, it was usually worth a good time.
Another tradition we had was hitting up Cold Stone. A short trip from our townhouse, we figured if we walked we could get an extra topping… obviously. Laughing and goofing off for a while was a nice break from the usual grind of life of thinking in decimals and dollars.
This store reminds me the most of the one I would visit in Spokane. The kind of place that makes people glad to be where they are with whoever they’re there with. Sure it’s cheesy, with the singing every time you leave a tip (can I leave a bigger one if you don’t sing?) but it’s an ice cream shop, what can you do? They’re nice, friendly, quick… can’t really say anything bad.
The ice cream is pretty good, and the fact you can add toppings to it is just fun. It can be overwhelming though (my first adventure got me mint ice cream with chocolate chips in it… wait, that’s not creative!) Now I go for their pre-​designed creations, maybe with a spin on it. Always get a waffle bowl though. Whoever invented dishes you can eat should get an award.
While not a place I go to routinely, every once in a blue moon I revert back to my undergrad days with a bowl of Chocolate Devotion (Chocolate Ice Cream, Fudge, Chocolate chunks, and Brownie) and finding out what kind of female I am (turns out a «go-​for-​it-​girl»). Ultimately it’s somewhat rejuvenating.
That or it’s the sudden surge of waaay too much sugar in my system.