Rochester Cold Stone shops take extra measures to ensure you can still enjoy one of summer's greatest pleasures
After making it through a long winter, the first warm spring days in Minnesota are a release unlike any other. It’s natural to jump straight into the summer lifestyle — get outside, roll the windows down, and go get some ice cream. But this spring, Covid-19 forced business owners to clear people out of their stores, instead of welcoming them in.
“That was one of the most challenging things: telling people ‘you can’t gather in here,’” says Yoel Topel, owner of Rochester’s three Cold Stone Creamery locations (off South Broadway, on Marketplace Drive Northwest, and inside the Apache Mall).
The pandemic may have put a damper on the spring, but Cold Stone Creamery is taking strides to keep its customers satisfied as we head into summer. While it may be some time before you sit down and enjoy Cold Stone’s freshly made ice cream in the store, it is still possible to satisfy your sweet tooth — thanks to new modifications to the Cold Stone experience putting safety and social distancing at the forefront.
What Cold Stone is Doing
In the food service industry, sanitation and proper cleaning must always be a priority. It’s no different at Cold Stone. Their measures add on to what already was a safe and sanitary process pre-Covid, but now adds guidelines allowing for social distancing and contact-less purchasing.
Multiple groups of customers are not allowed in the building at the same time — if there’s someone inside ordering, any other ice cream lover that shows up must wait their turn. The seating area has been completely removed, with chairs and ropes creating a pathway from the entrance to the register. Cold Stone employees are also required to wear a mask and gloves through the entire process, meaning the first and only person to come in contact with your ice cream will be you.
While the safety precautions may have changed, the makeup of Cold Stone’s legendary ice cream hasn’t changed one bit. Cold Stone still churns their own ice cream in-house, and they continue to offer dozens of decadent toppings and mix-ins to create a dish that’s entirely unique to you. Want something a little different? Their ice cream cakes are still ready to go in the cake freezer, or feel free to order your own and customize it exactly how you want it. The ice cream is still fresh, it’s still just as delicious, and the crew at Rochester’s Cold Stones have made sure it’s still safe to come and enjoy it.
“[Customers] can be sure we’re always keeping our counters clean, our hands clean, everything,” says Topel. “We are keeping everything as sanitized as possible.”
People Make the Difference
Above all else, it’s up to the people to follow and enforce the new social distancing and sanitation guidelines. Topel says his crew members, most in high school and still working their first jobs, have risen to the challenge through the pandemic, abiding by the stringent safety regulations and setting things straight with confused or combatant customers.
Now, Minnesotans enjoy the most personal freedom they’ve had in months. It’s understandable, though, that some who crave Cold Stone aren’t able to physically get to a store. For those who would prefer to stay in the comforts of their own car or home, Cold Stone has you covered: they offer free delivery and curbside pick-up for larger orders, plus partner with third-party delivery services for smaller orders.
Regardless of the method you use, though, Topel and the Rochester Cold Stone team are ready to get you the sweet treats you’ve been craving — with the peace of mind that every precaution is being taken to keep their patrons healthy and happy.
“We’ve always used gloves,” says Topel. “We’ve always been sanitary. It’s just one of those things where we want to be extra careful.”
