US ice cream brand Cold Stone Creamery set to enter India

The US  ice cream brand Cold Stone Creamery is set to open its first outlet in India at Kochi’s Lulu Mall .

The company’s Indian launch follows a partnership collaboration between its subsidiary Kahala Franchising LLC and Tablez Food Company for opening Cold Stone Creamery outlets in India and Sri Lanka.

“We are here as part of our international journey to explore new markets. From Kochi, we’ll soon move to Bengaluru with four-five shops and later to other parts of India,” said Audrey De Haven, Director of International Operations of Kahala Brands.

Audrey, who was here in connection with the opening of the Kochi outlet, said the brand’s overseas expansion began in November 2005 from Tokyo. Today, it has presence in over 1,400 locations across 27 countries, including the US, with the annual sales exceeding $650 million.

The Kochi outlet will offer over 18 signature creations made out of fresh ingredients with candy, cakes, fruits or nuts. Ice creams are made afresh daily at the store and the recipe is handcrafted. Later, it is customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone, she said.

“The rise in demand for branded products prompted the entry of many international ice cream brands to India, despite a lower per capita consumption,” Audrey said. In India, ice cream is still considered as an after-food desert while in the US, it could be a meal in itself.

The ice cream market in India is still at a nascent stage with only 300 ml annual per capita consumption against 22,000 ml in the US and 3,000 ml in China.

Shafeena Yussuff Ali, Chairperson of Tablez Food Company, was of the view that ice cream lovers around the globe admire Cold Stone Creamery as an innovator and appreciate its exceptional style of customer service, especially for crafting the freshest quality ice cream products.