Cold Stone Creamery sets opening day in Apple Valley

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
Updated ·3 min read

It seemed appropriate that a new Cold Stone Creamery was scheduled to open on Fat Tuesday, a day traditionally known for indulging in large portions of tasty delicacies.

Sweet Success Ventures CEO Gaurav Sharma originally told the Daily Press that Cold Stone would open on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Apple Valley Commons shopping center on Highway 18.

On Monday, Sharma said the opening of the store had been delayed to the end of the week.

“We are super excited to bring Cold Stone Creamery back to the High Desert,” Sharma said. “This project took us over 16 months to complete. There were many challenges, but we were able to overcome them.”

A new Cold Stone Creamery was originally scheduled to open on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Apple Valley Commons shopping center on Highway 18 in Apple Valley. That date has been delayed.
A new Cold Stone Creamery was originally scheduled to open on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Apple Valley Commons shopping center on Highway 18 in Apple Valley. That date has been delayed.

Cold Stone's opening was also scheduled the day before Valentine's Day, Feb. 14.

To serve the expected army of ice-cream-loving customers, Sharma and his business partner hired four employees, with plans to hire up to five more before they open.

The new store is situated between Dreamy Donuts and WaBa Grill and near Wingstop, Round Table Pizza, Rainbow Frozen Yogurt, and several other businesses.

Store operating hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, Sharma said.

A new Cold Stone Creamery was originally scheduled to open on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Apple Valley Commons shopping center on Highway 18 in Apple Valley. That date has been delayed.
A new Cold Stone Creamery was originally scheduled to open on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Apple Valley Commons shopping center on Highway 18 in Apple Valley. That date has been delayed.

Hand-mixed flavors

Cold Stone’s ice cream is made fresh and in-store, with each flavor churned and hand-mixed with various ingredients, including candy, cakes, fruit, nuts, or other mix-ins on a frozen granite stone, the company said.

Some of Cold Stone’s popular ice cream Signature Creations include Cheesecake Fantasy, Chocolate Devotion, Apple Pie Ala Cold Stone and Berry Berry Berry Good.

Cold Stone also offers signature, custom, and birthday cakes. Also, ice cream cupcakes, cookie sandwiches, and pies. They also serve shakes and smoothies.

The company also offers gluten-free products, lactose-free and low-fat options.

Cold Stone returns

The opening of the Apple Valley Cold Stone marks the third time the company opened a store in the Victor Valley.

The area’s first Cold Stone opened in the ‘90s and was inside a gas station on the corner of Bear Valley and Amargosa roads in Victorville.

After the Victorville store closed, the company opened a second ice cream shop on Main Street in Hesperia, which eventually closed after a few years.

It’s uncertain why the two previous stores closed.

Fat Tuesday 

This year, Feb. 13 is the annual day of Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday,” the last day of a season called “Carnival.”

Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, or Shrovetide, is a day characterized by one last binge of merrymaking, feasting, dancing and parades, before Ash Wednesday and the 40-day Lenten season.

A Fat Tuesday tradition includes eating foods made with butter, eggs, and fat, such as meat and desserts.

It’s also a day of celebration before many Catholics give up these delicacies for the Lenten season, a time of fasting and penance in preparation for Easter, according to historians.

This year, Feb. 14 is Ash Wednesday, which also falls on Valentine’s Day.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Cold Stone Creamery sets opening day in Apple Valley