THERE’S A COOL FAMILY STORY behind East Idaho’s Cold Stone Creamery locations. When we think of local businesses, we tend to think of “Mom & Pop” stores, not franchises. But when the owners and managers of a franchise’s local storefront are locals themselves, it changes things.
In 2006, Jeremiah and Kassie Temple purchased the Ammon Cold Stone Creamery location and moved to the area so they could personally manage it. Soon after, their family began to grow and they welcomed their first child. Three years later, they were contacted by the owner of the Pocatello Cold Stone location and they decided to purchase it as well. Two years after that, they were contacted yet again, but this time by the owner of the Rexburg Cold Stone location. The Rexburg store had been struggling with competition in the area, but Jeremiah accepted this as a challenge and purchased the store with the determination to significantly boost sales.
He succeeded. Within two years of purchasing the Rexburg store, sales grew over 75%—a massive increase from the struggling state the store had previously been in. Today Jeremiah and his wife Kassie manage the Ammon, Pocatello and Rexburg stores along with their three adolescent sons. They’ve expanded their Ammon location to include Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory treats—all made fresh in store along with all of their Cold Stone offerings. Kassie takes extra care to temper the chocolate to perfection and cook the caramel to just the right consistency. The Idaho Falls Magazine staff can speak to just how fantastic the caramel apples are. We especially love the apple pie flavor.
At Jeremiah’s recommendation, we recently tested Cold Stone’s new Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert. We asked for their recommended mix-ins and were delighted with the result. On its own, the Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert—which is 100% vegan—is fantastic. It really is like silk. But when you add fresh bananas, peanut butter and crunchy almonds to the mix, it creates something absolutely delicious. We can’t recommend it enough! If you’re looking for a great treat at a local eatery, don’t rule out Cold Stone Creamery or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory offerings just because they’re from a chain. The people who whip up these treats in our area bring the same care and attention to detail as anyone at a local store would. Try a caramel apple or a creamy creation for yourself, and you’ll see just what we mean.