Filipinos are said to have a sweet tooth. That is why the recent opening of the first Cold Stone Creamery in the Philippines gave reason for ice cream lovers and sweets fanatics to celebrate. A ceremonial “mixing†marked the ice cream brand’s opening of its Serendra store in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
On a frozen granite stone, showbiz personalities whipped up ice cream delights, the same way the popular US-based brand’s crewmembers do in more than 1,400 stores in over 25 countries worldwide.
Known for its innovative concept and “ultimate ice cream experience,†Cold Stone Creamery began as a search for the perfect ice cream dessert 25 years ago. Today, more than 200,000 unique frozen “creations†are served daily.
It was calculated that there are more than 11.5 million possible “creations.†Basically, one chooses an ice cream flavor and some add-ons that they’d like to have mixed in it. The ice cream and your chosen added ingredients will be mixed on a cold stone slab, which then refreezes one’s “creation!†My creation was a cake batter ice cream with cookie dough, chocolate chips and caramel!
Michael McGill, president of International at Kahala, where Cold Stone Creamery is a subsidiary of one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, delivered the welcome remarks. He then led the ribbon-cutting ceremonies where he was joined by Boy Abunda, Gretchen Barretto, Karylle, Canadian Ambassador Christopher Thornley, US Embassy’s Senior Commercial Service Officer Jim McCarthy, ice cream enthusiast Sabrina Co and Arizona Ice Cream Corp. COO Yuki Rosenfeld.
Others who were seen enjoying their Cold Stone Creamery ice cream during the opening were STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte and wife Milette, PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez, US Embassy Economic Counselor Joel Ehrendreich, lawyer Ric Puno, St. Luke’s Medical Center chairman Robert Kuan, Philippine Stock Exchange president Hans Sicat, Alaska Milk Corp. president and CEO Fred Uytengsu, Jollibee’s Grace Tan Caktiong, CITEM executive director Rosvi Gaetos, Singapore Airlines’ Rita Dy, Jim and Missy Ayala, Johnlu and Marilou Koa, Cynthia Tan, Dr. Elton and Carolyne Tan Yu, Anthony and Maricel Pangilinan, Bob Zozobrado, Marbee Shing-Go, Rose Libongco, Audie Gemora, Alyanna Martinez, Rima Ostwani and Luis Alandy.
The brand’s wide variety of ice cream creations can also be ordered in smoothie, cake or shake form.
(Located at Serendra in Bonifacio Global City (in front of Market! Market!). The second location will open soon at the Mall of Asia. For more information, visit
www.coldstonecreamery.com.)