SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cold Stone Creamery® continues to expand its footprint with South Africa becoming the 26th country the brand has entered. Kahala®, the parent company of Cold Stone Creamery, has signed a Master Franchise Agreement with Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD. Working with another first-class Master Partner has enabled Cold Stone Creamery to spread America’s most innovative ice cream concept worldwide.
Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD brings over a decade of experience and excellent managerial skills in several industries in South Africa including Technology, Real Estate and Mining. They also bring strong food and beverage experience and expertise to the Cold Stone Creamery partnership, with a large F&B foothold across the United Arab Emirates. Their businesses include real estate development, mining, engineering consulting, green energy development, commercial development, software development; and they are also a supplier for snacks and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) for some of the largest high end supermarket chains in South Africa. Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD also owns a luxurious Five Star Resort and various multi-unit residential properties and developments. Additionally, they hold an extensive land bank across South Africa and India.
“We are very excited about our new partnership and to have the opportunity to introduce The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience™ to the ice cream lovers of South Africa,” said Ridwaan Gouse, Executive Chairman of Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD. “Cold Stone Creamery offers the freshest, highest quality ice cream products and allows its customers to combine the ice cream with a variety of mix-ins, offering a theatre like experience for consumers. As we have grown to know the Cold Stone Creamery brand, we feel they are in the business of making people happy, which is right in line with our business philosophy. It’s about making great memories for our customers and we are delighted to become a part of the Cold Stone Creamery family and feel the brand and its fun, unique customer experience is a perfect fit for the South African market.”
Just like Cold Stone Creamery, Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD strives to deliver excellent customer service and together they will create a strong partnership in their conveyance of the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience™. Cold Stone Creamery sets out to continually deliver on the brand promise and to make people happy worldwide with their popular product.
“The blueprint to Cold Stone Creamery’s global success over the last eight years has been our ability to partner with world class organizations,” said Kevin Blackwell, Co-CEO of Kahala. “Partnering with such a diverse and respected company as Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD strengthens the portfolio of our brand and aligns us with an organization that has played an integral role in South Africa’s growth. South Africa is an exciting and emerging market, whose consumers appreciate high quality brands. We see the South African market as the foundation of our growth through the region, and together with Wilshire Foods SA (PTY) LTD, we are thrilled to introduce the Cold Stone Creamery experience to the country’s 50 million ice cream and dessert lovers.”
Kahala has continued to make a strong impact in achieving their international development goals. This current expansion will increase the number of countries Kahala resides to 26. The international growth of Kahala began in November 2005 when the company opened its first international Cold Stone Creamery store in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Kahala stores are operating in more than 562 international locations and now in 26 different countries including South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, Trinidad, Nigeria, Egypt and Brazil.
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, Arizona, Cold Stone Creamery is a subsidiary of Kahala, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 15 quick-service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery currently operates more than 1,500 locations in 25 countries.
For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit www.coldstonecreamery.com.
For more information about Kahala, visit www.kahalamgmt.com.
