So I went to this new Ice Cream Franchise called Cold Stone

[WCGreen]

Creamery.....

It's a "boutique" ice cream parlor whose mission is to have fun friendly service ......

Fuck that.....

I blame this all on Friday's.....

What fucking MBA came up with making a fun atmosphere when you are going out to eat.. or grab an ice cream cone...

As if the pure visceral experience of sating hunger or tending to a sweet tooth is not enough, now they have to manufacture "fun" in order to complete the dinning out or ice cream swilling experieince....

Fuck that.....

Don't sing goofy songs that embarrass the help and the people who are being sung too.....

Don't sacrifice service for a fun time....

Let the food stand on it's own....

As for Friday's. well anyplace that feels they have to douse a steak with jack daniels in order to make it palatable is serving shit on a plate....

As for the Cold Stone Creamery....

Some of the best Ice Cream I ever ate....

But you know what, cut the fucking singing and send the soprano out to clean the tables now and then.......

That's all I'm askin'

[castiron]

1. Wh...wh...what the fuh?

Dude, I've wanted to go there for some scream, but now i won't. Thanks for the warning. Is it like Johnny Rockets?

[WCGreen]

2. Great ICe Cream...

But they shout HELLO from behind the counter when you walk in ...

No matter how many folks are in line.....

Then they break out in stupid corporate inspired anthems that are inane at best and absolutely annoying at worst.....

And, they put n this freshness show in front of everyone that just takes up time and causes the line to back up...

Go for the cream....

Don't stay for the show....

[castiron]

3. I can barely go into a Waffle House for that " hello! " stuff!!

But the food can pull me in with enough beers in me anyway.

[WCGreen]

5. I travel south

Just for a scattered and smothered along side a fried egg sandwhich....

[castiron]

14. Aww yeah! Just slides right down -- then slides right out!

[WCGreen]

35. But it's so good.....

[RevCheesehead]

4. Sounds like that place on The Bob Newhart Show.

When Howard takes his son out for ice cream.

Bob thinks he's going to order The Great White Whale, but chickens out when he sees the big to-do the waiters did. So he orders 1 scoop of vanilla. When the ice cream arrives, the waiters gather around Bob and shout out, "Single-scooper, single-scooper, this man is a party pooper."

Was it that bad? :evilgrin:

[WCGreen]

7. Almost....

Except there was no comedy involved at all...

There was this punked out girl working behind the counter who looked at me, as the only non yuppiefied face in the place, with this expression like I could somehow rescue her living hell......

They spend too much time on show and the service is slow....

[RevCheesehead]

10. Ah, the Chuck E. Cheese of ice cream parlors.

Were there video games and activities for the kiddies? You know, go in and spend $50 on tickets to win useless shit...

I took my nephew there once for his birthday... NEVER AGAIN.

[WCGreen]

12. Yea but there Pizza tastes like shit....

This place doesn;t need to do all that crap...

they have great Ice Cream....

[RevCheesehead]

15. Two words, my friend....

(or is it one?) Take out.

[WCGreen]

18. I wanted to take out but the MIL came in and got so tired waiting

she had to sit down.....

[Lilyhoney]

29. roflmao

:rofl:

[Throckmorton]

92. The waiter was played by the late John Ritter

"Bet you can't do, bet you can't eat the whale."

[ChoralScholar]

24. There's a pizza chain around here called

CiCi's that does something similar.

We called it "FiCi's"

Anyway, there's a cold stone about a half hour from here. I got the sweet cream ice cream with Reese's smushed up in it. Very tasty.

[WCGreen]

25. CiCi's moved in right next to the Creamery

Fucking happiness hell.......

[Elidor]

30. Weirdness: we have "Marble Slab Ice Cream" right next to Cici's

Overpriced ice cream, or a public feeding trough, your choice. Mooooo.

[WCGreen]

32. Like Marble Slab Ice Cream really means anything....

Excpet that yuppies who all have useless expensive marble counter tops they don't use somehow equate marble cooking with goodness....

Note to Yuppies.....

Money can't buy you happiness.....

You can make the same ice cream on formica.....

[ChoralScholar]

67. The ones I've seen have refrigerant tubes running through the marble

keeping the marble cold and frosty. Apparently it is supposed to keep your ice cream cold while they smush things into it.

Kinda hard to see it here, but you can see where the frost has collected on the sides, and around the toppings:

[WCGreen]

81. That's the way it looks here in Cleveland......

It is good ice cream...

[KitchenWitch]

39. Wow, the one in Uptown Minneapolis does not do that

They just serves the icecream!

Excellent icecream!

[WCGreen]

41. Well that just proves that Cleveland is lucky now doesn't it....

[KitchenWitch]

42. LOL

Not lucky enough, my Twins screwed you guys again...

[WCGreen]

43. Oh well.... the Royals screwed themselves so Karma is restored...

[sakabatou]

87. Well, they do say, "hello" in Japanes e sushi restaraunts

More like "Irashai/Irashaimase"

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Everything is "performance art" or some such crap, right?

Whenever we eat at a restaurant where they serenade you if it's your birthday or anniversary...

We just "neglect" to tell them these facts...and then we get left alone..

But this place sounds like there's no escaping it...

Do they do it even if you get stuff to go?

Ugh....

The ice cream sounds wonderful, though...

[WCGreen]

9. Yea, I'm afraid they are just so happy to see people

WALK in the door, that that will bring out a burst of song and merriment....

[KyndCulture]

8. That sounds awful... but in Florida we had a cool place where they sang.

It was called Harmonious Monks, and the wait staff had to audition as performers to work there. It was an absolute scream to hear them sing the menu, or anything else you requested... and jump on stage with the band and sing.

Always a good time.

[WCGreen]

13. That's different....

Yo go expecting a show....

I just wanted to get my MIL a fucking Ice cream cone.....

[KyndCulture]

17. truly! I've been in a cold stone creamery before...

can't recall anyone singing... that would freak me out.

I expect a cone and the only topic to come up is sugar or regular after I decide on what goes in it!!

[WCGreen]

20. It ws bizzaro world.....

That punk girl was beside herself...

I think some kids from her High School came in cause she looked mortified....

[BigMcLargehuge]

11. no shit, I hate that too.. cut the fucking show tunes and bring me

another glass of water. I'd rather talk to my family at the table than listen to you croon fuckwit! DIE DIE DIE!!!!!

No tip for you Sinatra!

[WCGreen]

16. Like that little dude in the star Trek episode

Everybody die die die.... as they transported him out in to deep space.....

Loved that....

[BigMcLargehuge]

19. RED JACK!!! RED JACK!!! RED JACK!!!

Refill my fucking drink!!!!

[RevCheesehead]

21. Ah, the recently-departed John Fiedler.

(also Bob's patient Mr. Peterson, AND the voice of Piglet)

Why do I know all this shit? :)

[WCGreen]

22. That's the guy.....

Cool.....

We use to get really high at OSU....

Someone would mimic his Die Die everybody die speech and we would all start laughing....

Good Times...

Now if they would do that at the Cold Stone Creamery, well, I could handle that one.....

[RevCheesehead]

23. Well, there is that Star Trek place in Vegas.

Never been there, but I'd love to check it out.

[WCGreen]

26. That is where the next meet up should be,,,,

Vegas......

[radwriter0555]

27. When they're charging FIVE bucks for some (good) ice cream with crap mixed

in it, you're damn right they better sing and dance too!

It is a nice quality ice cream, it really is, and the add-ons are fun, but the novelty wears off when you pay such a massive amount of money for something to eat. After all, it's ICE CREAM. Milk, sugar, flavorings. M & M's, cookies, fruit, etc.

Yeah, put a hat on and dance AND clean the damn tables a LOT.

[WCGreen]

28. Two smoothies and childs Hot Fudge Sundae

cost me ten bucks....

[radwriter0555]

31. Ouch.

That's 2 days lunch out.

[WCGreen]

34. I know it was horrible...

And to top it off, we had stopped into eat at a Red Robbin before that, cause they have a great chicken salad, and there were so many tykes unguarded and running around like little crazy animals that I thought I was eating in a Junior High cafeteria....

Too much suburbia for this old boy to take.....

[mcscajun]

44. You got off easy....

One sugar cone with two mix-ins alone can run you over seven bucks!
Most over-priced nonsense I ever saw. I didn't run into any "performance art" but that cone was not worth seven bucks. For eight dollars, I can get two quarts of Baskin-Robbins' finest and do my own damn cones or mix-ins.

[WCGreen]

50. Now you're talkin''

[Mojambo]

33. I work at a newsstand/kiosk RIGHT outside a Coldstone Creamery

All fucking day long with the singing. All day long, every day.

I used to like ice cream.

[Dem2theMax]

36. Well then, lucky me! Our CSC is a tiny little store right next to the

movie theater. No room for singing. No room for anything other than eating ice cream. And it's the best ice cream I've ever had. Now I'm hungry. At 11:30pm! LOL. Gonna have to make a run to town tomorrow. :)

[WCGreen]

40. It is good stuff....

But the singin'

Oye veh

[RandomKoolzip]

37. I've been to one Cold Stone in Chicago and they don't do that shit here.

No singing, no corporate anthems, you just order your goddamned ice cream and split.

Oh, how I love Chicago.:)

[Der Blaue Engel]

38. They do it in Hawaii and San Francisco

and it scares me. They're as bad as clowns. :scared:

[supernova]

45. I've never been in the one here in Durham

at the shiny new mall.

It's so BUSY ALL THE TIME! I mean there's a line that snakes around inside the store and out the side walk, somdays all the way into the movie theatre courtyard. :crazy:

I don't care how good the ice cream is, I'm not standing in a line that long.

And since you're tellin gme they sing to you, even better I don't go in.

The one night I wanted ice cream after the movie, there was a guy selling real Italian gelato from a cart outside. He had no line. And boy was that GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! :D

[WCGreen]

46. Cool.....

I just think this whole fun fun fun stuff is going way beyond the pale.....

Too much fun usually means really shitty food.....

[supernova]

48. I might make another exception for Joe's Crab Shack

Eventhough it was noisy, the food really was good.

[enlightenment]

94. Now THAT place (Joe's) is over the top.

First -- and last -- time I went there, the song and dance routine almost gave me a heart attack. The speaker was right over our table and some moron figured that the music (YMCA, no less)had to be cranked all the way up -- one second I'm preparing to down my first bite of Bananas Foster, and the next I'm trying to keep my head on my shoulders.
The fight or flight response completely ruined my appetite.
The manager thought it was funny.
I was angry enough to write the corporate head-quarters. No response, of course.
NEVER AGAIN.


:grr:

FYI -- the Coldstone's in Las Vegas only sing if you tip them. Got that Capitalist ethos down pat!

[WCGreen]

98. Joe's Crab Shack....

Too much fun....

:sarcasm:


Like Red Lobster with Fun.....

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

47. You, sir, are a crusty curmudgeon!

Why do you hate America?

"If you like good food, good fun and a whole lot of crazy crap on the walls, then come on down to Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag."

http://centerclick.org:81/videos/archive/simpsons/uncle_moes_family_feed_bag.mov

http://centerclick.org:81/previews/archive/simpsons/p.uncle_moes_family_feed_bag.mov.jpg

[WCGreen]

49. It's all you whippersnappers

that can't just eat and be done with it...

[tallahasseedem]

51. That place is way too expensive....

and I can better cone at Dairy Queen for $2.00 less.

[peekaloo]

52. Do the workers wear a lot of "flair"?

I avoid these kind of places like the plague.


Reminds me of an old 'Bob Newhart Show' episode...."single scooper, single scooper, this man is a party pooper".

:+

[Rabrrrrrr]

53. I love coldstone! And the singing is the best part -

throw in a tip, ring the bell, and watch 'em dance!

And it IS some of the best ice cream in the world!

[supernova]

54. You LIKE it?

I'm surprised, Rabrrrrrr. I would think this wouldn't be your thing. :shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

55. At the one I've been to, they sing old TV themes and other fun songs

AND they do it well, and with smiles on their faces. Since they are clearly enjoying themselves, and not doing shitty music, I find it fun. Granted, I wouldn't sit in there for an hour, and I wouldn't want that constant noise and singing while trying to eat dinner, but for a quick trip in to get soe bitchin' ice cream, it's fun!

[WCGreen]

59. Oh my freind, no old TV theme music here....

All corporate anthems cobbled together by focus groups.....

think of Brittney Spears without all the effects...

[Rabrrrrrr]

64. Ew - that sounds awful.

No wonders you don't like the singing.

[DS1]

56. Have you been channeling my spite again?

:yourock:

[bbernardini]

57. Try Maggie Moo's, if you have one near you.

From what I've gathered, it's Coldstone Creamery without the schtick (but with bad cow puns on the wall). Probably some of the best ice cream I've ever had as well.

[blondeatlast]

58. It started here in Phoenix--the ice cream is AWFUL.

I apologize on behalf of Phoenix that this place mysteriously become so popular. I can't understand it.

[WCGreen]

60. You must have some pretty darn good ice cream out there...

Cause it stacks up with all the other...

Now it doesn't come any where close to the frozen custard, but that is a completely different delectable...

[blondeatlast]

68. I grew up on a family owned parlor/sandwich shop,

Still in operation: Mary Coyle's. The family still runs it, still makes EVERYTHING fresh, and it's still wildly successful without corporate involvement.

If you ever make it out here, it is not to be missed.

[Jamison]

61. Yeah, I don't dig the singing and acting stuff either.

I go to an eating establishment b/c I am HUNGRY. I just want to get my food and get it in my belly with little fanfare or drama. If I wanted to be entertained, I'd go see a play.

[BreweryYardRat]

62. Is that so?

There was a Coldstone across the street from the main movie theater when I was living in Sarasota. No song, no dance, just some damn good ice cream.

Admittedly, that might have been because they were shoehorned into a very small space... ;)

[WCGreen]

63. Oh this was yuppie hell......

It was just bizzaro world...

The clackin of the steel on the "marble" counter top was what I first thought was un neccessary until I go to the counter and saw that they fold the ice cream into the "fun" mixin's...

Well, Like I said,,,

the Ice Cream was fucking great....

The singin' and shoutin' out hello, not so much

[Dervill Crow]

65. I don't know if the one in Beaverton has singing. It did have Salmonella

a while back. Saw it on the news. I don't think there's one in my neck of the woods, but probably not as I don't live in the yuppie part of town.

edited for bad typing

[WCGreen]

74. I saw that..... Cool.....

I goggled the and that was the first thing that came up....

[ikojo]

66. Dig this....in Univ City MO there is a Cold Stone Creamery down the

block from a Ben and Jerry's! I"ve been to the Ben and Jerry's many times and not once have I gone to the Cold Stone Creamery. When I heard that they make the employees sing, that was too much for me. I don't believe in humiliating people for their minimum wage.

When the boss gets out there and sings, then maybe I'll feel differently.

[AlCzervik]

69. Way overpriced imo.

[Left Is Write]

70. Joe's Crab Shack. Too loud, too much singing, but good food.

I've only been to Cold Stone a couple of times. It's been around here for a few years, but it's always too crowded.

I go to Friday's for the NTN (and I do like the Jack Daniels burger).

[NYdemocrat089]

71. "Don't sing goofy songs that embarrass the help and the people

who are being sung too....."

I hate that. We went out to dinner last year and I told my parents, "Please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeease don't say it's my birthday. I'll die if they start singing in the middle of dinner."

So we get to the restaurant and they had taken a meal I like off the menu...no big deal...but my dad decides I must have that meal. So when the waitress comes to take our orders my dad says, "It's my son's birthday and he wanted was really looking forward to this. is there any way you guys can make it?" So she checks and they can. We finish dinner and we're about to leave and I'm so happy that dad's comment didn't cause them to start singing. Then, out of no where all the waitresses surround me and start singing. :scared: I was so embarrassed. It was nice of them though, they did give me a free dessert. I just didn't like the entire restaurant starring at me.

[WCGreen]

75. Why not.... Isn't that the whole idea of having fun....

What some corporate MBA type thinks will make you come back for more....

[hickman1937]

72. It wasn't Fridays that started this crap. It was some damn chain

in the 70's. I can't remember the name. I just remember that they had something called the trough with about 5 pounds of ice cream in it, and if you finished it you got pointed at sung to by the entire staff and a button that said something like I Made A Pig OF Myself at (Whatever The Name Of this Place Is).

[KatyaR]

80. I remember that place--was it Farrell's?

There were red and white striped somethings--awnings, maybe?

I went there once with a bunch of highschool girlfriends, and we had the Trough--I'd never seen so much ice cream! We couldn't eat it all.

I'll stick with Ben & Jerry's, even though there are no scoop shops in the entire state--have to buy it in the grocery stores.

Have you tried Godiva ice cream--that's to die for, too.

[Tallison]

85. I had my 6th birthday party at Farrell's

Don't remember any singing. That was 25 years ago. Wow. Farrell's. Where are you from?

[KatyaR]

99. I'm in Oklahoma City.

There was a Farrell's here in the mid-70s.

[Tallison]

86. double post

[Left Is Write]

91. I remember Farrell's. The staff dressed in Gay Nineties apparel

and sometimes sang in barbershop quartet style.

[WCGreen]

93. Like Taylor on Gilmore Girls......

[AccessGranted]

73. Mmmmm.....Cold Stone Creamery

That is the best damn ice cream in the universe (it's like 1000000 per cent butter cream or something). I work right down the street from one and one day I stopped in and got a cone with peanut butter and brownies all smushed together and the delectable cone was dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with white chocolate chips. It was so good I almost couldn't drive my car home. It's a little expensive but worth it. The names of the sizes are doofy though. You feel so stupid asking for a "like it", "love it" or "gotta have it". Also, call me corny and cheestastic, but I enjoyed the singing clerks. I just sang with them and laughed. Life is short. Lighten up and enjoy. Sometimes acting stupid is soul-freeing.

[In_The_Wind]

76. It's all about marketing.

You can have a truly wonderful product but if you can't draw attention away from the competition, you may not stay in business very long.

[WCGreen]

77. Okay they got the people, now stop the singing....

[In_The_Wind]

78. If you are running a successful business ...

it is the wise person who continues whatever good thing that makes everything work.

[WCGreen]

79. That is very true....

owever, I think that was done to attract people in the new locations....

[hippywife]

82. Okay, I hate this kinda crap, too.

I think everyone should find the location near them and when they do this, just freeze and say, "Oh, geez." kinda whiney like and walk back out the door.

[NorthernSpy]

83. that sounds kind of intimidating -- people singing at you and all...

Hate that sort of thing! If anyone tried to serenade me, I'd flee at the earliest opportunity.

Too many extroverts in this world, and they're all so damn noisy.

[jane_pippin]

84. Preach on, WC

Preach, the fuck, on.

[WCGreen]

90. For you JP.....

Anything....

[jane_pippin]

96. Great...

Now I'll have to think up some wacky shit. :D

[WCGreen]

97. Don't worry...... I have really low expectations......

[Cozmosis]

88. Still need to try that place.

[WCGreen]

89. Go at an off time.....

When you can be waited on......

The ICe Cream is dreamy creamey

[no name no slogan]

95. But I still don't trust Whitey