Cold Stone Creamery Announces Plans for Thailand Expansion

By: Cold Stone Creamery | 1 Shares 98 Reads

Introducing Thailand to the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience Beginning 2010

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- America's most innovative ice cream concept, Cold Stone Creamery, along with the brand's parent company, Kahala, announced plans today for the concept's development in Thailand. A 20-year agreement has been signed with Central Restaurants Group Co. Ltd. (CRG) to introduce the unique ice cream experience throughout Thailand. CRG, through a master franchise agreement, aims to open 10 stores in the country by 2014.

The expansion of the Cold Stone Creamery brand in Thailand will further solidify the company's goal of making people happy around the world by selling the highest quality, most creative ice cream experience with passion, excellence and innovation. CRG is the ideal partner for making this vision a reality in Thailand. Touted as a pioneer in introducing Western quick-service restaurant (QSR) concepts throughout the country, CRG has successfully developed brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mister Donut and Auntie Anne's. The first Cold Stone Creamery Thailand location is expected to open in February in Bangkok's Central World shopping complex.

"CRG has 30 years of QSR experience in Thailand," said Dan Beem, Kahala's president of international. "The company's successful record of securing premier locations, driving traffic and their operations know-how makes the organization the ideal partner for Cold Stone Creamery's latest international expansion."

Cold Stone Creamery's explosive international growth began in November 2005 when the company opened its first international store in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Cold Stone stores are operational with more than 160 international locations in 14 different countries including China, Korea, Canada, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates.

About Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® 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 a subsidiary of Kahala, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 12 quick-service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery operates more than 1,450 locations in 15 countries.

###