Cold Stone Creamery

I came to this location for the first time around two weeks ago, early in the week around 6 in the evening. At first my son, sister and I were greeted by a nice young man and it seemed like he was the only one working atm. He took our first order and another girl Walked in who I guess was another employee there? He immediately left to go talk her in the back. At the time it seemed urgent so okay you know we understand. Then he kept coming out and saying that he would start on the next order right now, then we come to notice it seems like he is just talking to the girl and forgetting about his customers. For a second he had me believing he was doing something in the back concerning my drink that I had just ordered, but he was making it seem like he was doing something work related to continue talking to the girl. My sister and i became super impatient and didn’t continue ordering our things and left to Baskin robins. We paid for the ones we had ordered even though the guy was talking for so long our order was all melted. And even though they ran out of lids for the like it sizes he didn’t want to at least put it in a bigger cup for us.
Worst cold stone I’ve ever been to

I’m writing this letter in reference to an incident that occurred on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at the Cold Stone Creamery 120 N. Maclay Ave. San Fernando, CA 91 340. I ordered an ice cream cake online for a birthday celebration that I was going to attend later on that evening. I clicked on the link that said Ready to pick up’ I put in all of my information and paid for the cake. I realized that I didn’t add in a note to be written on the cake. So I called the store and requested to write HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM. The sales associate on the other end agreed and said he would tell them to write it down. I then received another call and said the cake wouldn’t be ready til another hour later.
I arrived at the store at the time they asked me to come, the associate goes to the back and picks out the cake and brings to the front in a cardboard box. He tells me that the girl left and didn’t write Happy Birthday on the cake. OK, I took the cake and put it in my car, it was a 5 – 7 minute drive to the restaurant and I picked up the cake to take it inside and I realized that it was a little mushy on the bottom. I opened up the cake and noticed that it was lopsided. I handed the cake over to the hostess to put in freezer. When we were ready for the cake to be brought out she pulled me aside and said that there was no way for her to take the cake out of the box. They made the cake directly on top of the box without a cardboard to take it out on for it to be cut. We cut the cake directly in the cardboard box. EMBARASSING and to top it off you can see the cake was lopsided and wasn’t completely frozen. I apologized to everyone and explained the situation if the store needed more time I would have decided to go somewhere else.
I decided to call the manager, Gilbert, Omar, Oscar (whatever his name is) and express my concerns with the service I was given. I called when they opened and spoke to a man named Alex who said that he would have the Manager Omar call me back ASAP. I waited 6 hours until I called and spoke to someone again who said that he would tell him to call me. This same young man calls back and tells me that Omar the manager would like to know what this is regarding. I was shocked usually the managers I’ve spoken to in the past have been very attentive. I asked for him to call me I didn’t want to tell me story twice.
Finally 8 hours after my original call the Manager finally calls me back and I explain what happens. His response was that it didn’t make sense why they make the cake that way and why didn’t they do this or that. He offered to replace the cake and I asked for my money back. I didn’t want another cake and he agreed. He said well I don’t know what else to do or say. He offered me a free ice cream if I came into the store tonight. He said that he would talk to his staff but none of this makes sense. He seemed to be patronizing me as if I wasn’t being truthful. I have pictures in which I will attach. I asked him what the name of his boss was and the address to where I can correspond with him and I will also submit a letter to corporate. He gave me a name, Jonathan Rivera and stated that I would get an email to confirm my refund was in process. I’m still waiting for that email. One week later I called yesterday ²⁄₁₁ asked for the manager and was hung up on. I called back and he took my name and number and said he would have him call me back.
Update ²⁄₁₉ I still have not received my refund and the Manager has not called me back. I called the store and asked for Gilbert and he said he was not in and I asked the associate who his boss was and he replied with that he thinks Gilbert is the owner. So who is this Jonathan Rivera? I’m reporting them to the Better Business Bureau and never returning to the store again. They do not value any type of customer service and I’m going to do my best that this doesn’t happen to another loved ones birthday!

This place really sucks! The ice cream doesn’t taste anything like other cold stones, they never have napkins or the original cold stone cups. It’s always so dirty and they hardly ever have any choices. Will not be returning.

I was in the store for a good 10 mins before I was greeted. The girl behind the counter looked miserable and just gave me the «what do you want?» look. My boyfriend still tipped her and she didn’t even say thank you. Don’t think I’ll be coming back.

Place seems a little dirty but we did get served up lots of extra ice cream and the customer service was great!

Bad customer service. Ice cream was bland, not many choices, side items tasted stale. Won’t be back.
This is a response to «Gilbert G «of Coldstone Creamery.
I am in no way affiliated with Coldstone as a former employee. I am a Registered Nurse. My husband and I moved from the south bay to the valley and loved the Coldstone out there. We assumed our experience would be the same here, but it was NOT. I saw negative reviews on this location but came anyway because it was close to my home. Based on my visit, the negative reviews are accurate.

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UPDATE & RESPONSE
This is to Gilbert who replied about my «Melty» ice cream. YES! It was Melty. How it was possible for me to receive melty ice cream when you guys mix the ingredients on a frozen platform, I don’t know.
I went in October 2^nd between 3 – 4 pm. A young lady with some nice cat face paint was working there and she tended to us.
You didn’t receive any complaints because I was trying to be polite and give the ice cream the benefit of the doubt. One minute outside and it was literally dripping out of the cup. As for your confusion about how ice cream would be Melty and disappointing… I mean cmon… ice cream is suppose to be ICE cream.
Thank you for sarcastically and rudely replying to my review about the truth of the quality of the ice cream. If you truly were more than happy to look into it you would’ve done so already in order to make sure future customers don’t experience the same let down I did… and yes… it was your mistake.
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I just went in about 30 minutes ago and I’m ridiculously disappointed with the ice cream. I ordered the strawberry blonde and was super excited but when I received the ice cream it was so freakin Melty. DISGUSTING. I was really craving a good ice cream fix and this place was truly disappointing. I went to McDonald’s and bought a Sunday there instead.

I love cold stone but this location sucks. Not good at all. The ice cream is melty it isn’t good. I tried the cold stone in Burbank then this one and omg this place is not worth it. You’d be better off going to Burbank for a better cold stone experience.

Seriously coldstone??? Worst location I’ve EVER been to.
Styrafoam cups? Really?
Out of almost every ice cream flavor that is good?
The freezer that holds the cakes and cookies… empty!
I’m never going back to this coldstone. It sucks!
And the employees look sooo miserable. Good luck getting someone to greet you or smile!

Place take for ever for a order. They don’t even use cold stone cups they use foam cups. That’s doesn’t even have cold stone on it. Julian has a long nasty beard. That should have a hair net on it

We have been coming to cold stone for years. When I visited on 05/​29/​2015, I asked for sweet cream with graham cracker, caramel and walnuts. The young man who prepared my order told me it was walnuts he put in my order. I told him I have never seen them so small. It was peanuts he put in my ice cream. He was lucky that I wasn’t allergic to peanuts. Someone with a allergy to peanuts would have not been so lucky. The young man needs training on how to tell the nuts apart. It is important for safety reasons. Pay close attention to what they are putting in your ice cream. M. Shaw

WORST COLDSTONE, EVER.
This is by far the worst Coldstone.
Staff look like they hate their job and it shows as they take orders.
They are out of ice cream ALL THE TIME. WHY DO I STILL COME BACK? Well i’m not anymore. MULTIPLE tins of ice cream are empty, like no trace of ice cream ever being there. I changed my order like 3x and they still didn’t have any of the ingredients. So then i changed my order to a shake and then I was told «our blender is broken»
SERIOUSLY?! I was so over it.
But the cherry on top was that when we were going to pay with our gift cards we were told «our gift card machine doesn’t work»
Who is running this place? Corporate needs to step in already.
You are all better off going to Baskin Robbins around the corner, SO MUCH BETTER!

Was back again today. (Not my choice) ice cream was sour and once again out of flavor. They seriously need to get it together. They can care less about what customers think

This place is a bloody disaster. (Yes I just said that and I’m not even British)
But in all honesty it really is and the sad part is that it wasn’t always like that. Ive been to this Cold Stone before in the past and I have never had an experience like today’s.
I walked in with my friend and her kids, excited to have some ice cream. (& weren’t greeted) We get to the freezer & I lift her daughter up so she can see the ice cream choices to pick a flavor and say «Which one do you want? There’s chocolate, vanilla, sweet cream… strawberry…banana…and… wait that’s it?»
And yuppppp that WAS it. 5 flavors (if you can count banana, cuz who the hell eats banana ice cream?!) AND the rest of the trays were empty, NOT because they ran out for the day, no I’m talking empty ass clean tin trays with no trace of ice cream having been in them for God knows how long!!!
They had sweet cream, they had chocolate, we thought okay we’re good! I ordered Founder’s Favorite and my friend ordered Chocolate Devotion, and she modified Oreos instead of chocolate chips.
The guy tells us there are no brownies but they should be coming out of the oven soon. We agreed to wait.
When the brownies were finally ready, we paid & my friend reminds the guy about her modification. Well two times wasn’t enough because guess what? Upon eating she finds chocolate chips in her ice cream! Yay!!!
She keeps spitting them out, trying not to make a big deal but by then we had counted over 10 of those suckers.
She goes back inside to tell him and apparently he said «Yeah sorry, 1 or 2 fell in»
Ummmm try like 12 dude. and even if it had been 1or 2 that did fall in, that doesn’t make it okay.
Despite that our ice creams were given to us in cheap ass styrofoam cups, they were a drippy ass gooey, melted mess.
The ingredients weren’t mixed up together to look in any way appealing, as a matter of fact it looked like frozen yogurt or freakin soupy cake batter.
This place is a joke, the poor dude working had to keep repeating
’We’re out right now” to almost every customer walking in.
Poor guy, that is embarrassing, and although it’s not his fault he can at least do his part and provide great customer service but unfortunately even that was lacking.
We weren’t greeted, okay I’ll get over it, 12 chocolate chips fell into the mix, okay I can overlook that too. But to be OUT OF OVER 12 – 15 flavors of ice cream and you are an open, operating franchise is ridiculous. To not have the proper Cold Stone branded cups is even more ridiculous. People are paying $ 5– $ 7 for an ice cream for the whole experience and getting everything short of that.
I don’t think the owner’s of this location care, I don’t think the little bit of ice cream they do have is kept at the right temperature and I also don’t think I will EVER BE RETURNING to this Cold Stone Creamery, as a matter of fact I know I won’t be.

HORRIBLE! 2^nd time I’ve been to this location and both times walked out empty handed.
The first time they had about 4 flavor of ice cream. And had one other customer inside when I walked in. Another customer walked in a few minutes after me. Once it was my turn the person working completely ignored me and assisted the person that came in AFTER me. All I wanted to know was if they had any other flavors in the back. Ended up just leaving and going to Vons and buying 2 quarts of ice cream for $ 7.
The second time there was one other customer and 2 employees. but only 1 assisting customers. Again, they didn’t have the flavors we wanted. We left and bought our ice cream down the street at Baskin Robbins.
By the way, this location doesn’t have authentic Coldstone cups, instead they have cheap styrofoam cups & they do not have any lids to go with them.
This doesn’t seem to be an authentic Coldstone.
I really wish there was a real one nearby that would have all the basic flavors.
Wish I could give this place 0 stars.

These reviews don’t lie…
This is the closest coldstone to our home… They are ALWAYS out of something
No Napkins
No spoons
No COLDSTONE cups (instead they use some CHEAP foam cups which are actually SMALLER!!!)
And worst of all NO ICE CREAM!
Why buy a franchise if you can’t deliver the demand??? This location makes REAL COLDSTONE FRANCHISES look bad. I went in to get some ice cream because I’m assuming since this is an ice cream joint that I would be walking out with ice cream but NO they are out of ice cream… Then why the hell are you open??? –_​– better yet… How are you still in business… So I walked out and took my business to BASKIN ROBBINS down the street, thanks coldstone for giving away your customers.

Every time that i go to this location they always seem to be out of something.
Plus, they never have the actual coldstone cups but cheap foam cups.
Don’t get me wrong i love coldstone but, id rather go to any other location
than this one.

Worker was ok and apologized for not having anything on hand she said they were in the middle of making the ice cream but really an empty case. I really thought they were closed. On a positive note my kids loved the ice cream they had. Said it was very good

It’s cold stone! If you don’t know what cold stone is, then this review is not for you.
I’ve always been a big fan of cold stone even though the gf seems to not be as she thinks it’s too buttery. Well I love it. So I would give it five stars based on the quality of the food, but I’m writing a review for this particular location
We came here to get the gf a cake for her dad. The strawberry cake. The cake is great! You’re going to be paying a lot of lettuce for it, but it’s good. The major problem I had was the speed of the service. Only on employee here in the afternoon on a Friday seemed a bit odd. Odd indeed. Not only that she moved at a very casual pace. That might be fine if you lived in the middle of nowhere, but it’s California time. People are in a hurry. I’m not sure how long we waited, but it felt like I had entered the 22^nd century by the time I left.
Still, good cake!

I enjoy Cold Stones very much. Their ice cream is a little sweeter and creamier when comparing them to other local ice cream joints such as Baskin-​Robbins, Foster’s Freeze, and Menchie’s.
Location
They’re located on Maclay which only has street parking but isn’t too difficult to snag especially at night. There is no indoor seating but there is seating outdoors in a shared patio that has some art posted.
Service
I opted to give Cold Stones 3 stars verses 4 because their service is always inconsistent. I’ve had completely awful encounters here to rather pleasant ones.
Food
Their ice cream is delightful in my opinion. For being a creamery they have a pretty diverse product mix; ice cream, yogurt, shakes, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and churros. I normally stick to the creamy ice cream because I know it’s their specialty. I’ve tried numerous things such as the Apple Pie a la Cold Stones, Mud Pie, Coffee Lovers Only, and Strawberry Banana Rendezvous, all of which have been good and with that being said go ahead and try something that catches your eye I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Price
A «like it» is about $ 5
Overall
When I’m looking for something creative and sweet I always make my way to Cold Stones. Hopefully, the service continues to improve so I don’t have to find a new location.
Tip
If you think the «like it» size is too small don’t worry about it; it’s pretty heavy and they tend to go overboard in the portions.