Cold Stone Creamery Co-Brands With Soup Nazi

by sean on October 9th, 2007

(FranchisePick.Com) Is the Cold Stone Creamery’s franchise bowl half-empty or half-full? Amidst rumors of internal problems and a third round of layoffs at franchise amalgam Kahala Cold Stone, here’s the latest attempt at making their concepts work: sticking a couple of them together. Who knows? They can always add a Cereality franchise to the mix.

The First Co-Branded Store Makes NYC Debut on Astor Place

‘Soup and Ice Cream for Life’ Raffle Drawing During Ceremony

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Soup Kitchen International, the creators of the Zagat-rated soups of Al Yeganeh, the legendary soup man who inspired the “Soup Episode” on Seinfeld, and Cold Stone Creamery, the fastest-growing ice cream concept in the United States, today announced the grand opening of the first The Original SoupMan/Cold Stone Creamery at 2 Astor Place in New York, NY in early November. Recent Penn State graduate Daniel Petryszyn is opening the first hybrid, co-branded franchise that will feature both The Original SoupMan’s world-renowned soups and Cold Stone Creamery’s super-premium ice cream. Petryszyn’s Original SoupMan/Cold Stone Creamery, in addition to ice cream, will showcase Yeganeh’s 50 varieties of soup as the “centerpiece of the meal.” Each meal will be presented with a piece of fresh, crusty baguette, fresh fruit and a piece of imported chocolate — just like Al Yeganeh served it at his original shop. As Yeganeh explains it, this is simply “the way to eat.” Alongside Yeganeh’s 50 varieties of soup there will also be an extensive line of gourmet salads and sandwiches.
“Customers demand choice and innovation,” said Dan Beem, Cold Stone Creamery President. “We’re pleased and excited to explore these opportunities with the Original SoupMan to introduce both the highest quality, most creative ice cream experience alongside premium, gourmet soups, all under one roof.”
During Petryszyn’s grand opening ceremony, one customer will win a free cup of soup every day for the rest of his life while another customer will win a free cup of ice cream as part of the “Soup/Ice Cream for Life” drawing. In addition, the first 100 customers will receive a gift bag stuffed with free merchandise.
The Original SoupMan will also donate $1,500 on behalf of Yeganeh’s charity, “Al’s Feed the Hungry Foundation,” to “City Harvest,” the world’s first and New York City’s only food rescue program. Feed the Hungry Foundation donates funds to local hunger charities every time a new Original SoupMan location opens. The charity is headed up by Baseball Hall
of Fame legend, Reggie Jackson.
About The Original SoupMan
Founded in 1984, legendary soup man, Al Yeganeh, set the standard for
delicious, world-renowned soups at his New York City location, Soup Kitchen
International. Now, with the international growth of his franchise, The Original Soup Man, Al and his team will give the whole world the opportunity to experience soup as it was meant to be. The company also sells the Original SoupMan soups in Grab-n-Go packages in grocery stores nationwide. To learn more, visit http://www.ORIGINALSOUPMAN.com.
About Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery delivers the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience(R)
through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery is part of the Kahala-Cold Stone holding company, a leading brand-building franchisor with a portfolio of 14 diversified brands. Cold
Stone Creamery alone operates more than 1,400 locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and United Arab Emirates. For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.coldstonecreamery.com.