Milk Producer - May 2010 - (Page 23)

RETAILERSPOTLIGHT By Sharon Laidlaw Proudly Canadian Tim Hortons and Cold Stone Creamery partner to offer consumers premium ice cream t’s creamy, delicious and made fresh using Canadian dairy ingredients. It’s ice cream and Tim Hortons is selling it. Ice cream enthusiasts would call it a match made in heaven. For dairy farmers, it’s welcome news. Since July 2009, Tim Hortons and U.S.-based Cold Stone Creamery have partnered to offer signature ice cream products that include everything from shakes to ice cream sandwiches to smoothies to cakes. After a successful pilot test of its co-branded restaurants last June in six Tim Hortons Ontario locations, followed by another six locations in Calgary and Halifax, the company plans to expand across the country. “Our initial test pilot in two Rhode Island locations in spring 2009 went very well. We later decided to expand to several more locations in the U.S.,” says David Morelli, Tim Hortons public affairs director. “We’ve also received a very favourable response in Canada. As such, we’re looking to open another 60 to 80 Cold Stone Creamery-Tim Hortons locations in 2010.” Cold Stone Creamery ice cream is handcrafted fresh in each store. Customers can add a variety of mix-ins such as candy, fruit and nuts to their order, which is then mixed by a server on a frozen granite slab. In addition to freshly made ice cream, Cold Stone Creamery offers shakes, fruit smoothies and cakes. Logos of both companies are prominently displayed side by side outside each location. The products are served at a separate counter I Tim Hortons and Cold Stone Creamery are looking to open 60 to 80 cobranded stores in Canada in 2010, in addition to the 12 already operating in Ontario, Calgary and Halifax. beside Tim Hortons’ coffee and doughnuts. “We offer a wide variety of flavours, with some selections based on regional and local customer preferences,” says Morelli. “The customer response has been very positive. They love the freshness of the ice cream and how they can create their own unique decadence every time.” Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery operates more than 1,450 locations in 12 countries. There are 38 co-branded Cold Stone Creamery-Tim Hortons locations in the U.S. Tim Hortons chooses locations for the co-branded restaurants that meet certain demographic criteria, such as high-traffic spots or those in familyfriendly neighbourhoods, says Morelli. And since Cold Stone’s main customer traffic occurs between 4 p. m. and 10 p. m., a time of day when Tim Hortons is looking for more sales, it fits perfectly with its growth objectives. “It’s becoming a favourite for a late afternoon snack or one of those little rewards after the kids’ hockey or soccer games,” says Morelli. “We hope to bring Cold Stone Creamery’s famous ice cream experience to even more Canadians,” he says. “The ice cream is wonderfully fresh, the combination of fixings and toppings is almost endless and customers can sing along with staff and watch the theatrics as soon as they walk in the door.” MilkPRODUCER | May 2010 | 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milk Producer - May 2010

Milk Producer - May 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
DFO Chair's Message
Provincial Perspectives
Dairy Update
National Policy
Farm Finance
Retailers Spotlight
DFC Promotion
The Future Arrives
Farm Business
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New 'N" Noted
Back Forty

Milk Producer - May 2010