Now, I'm on the other side of that experience. Working at Coldstone has been nothing but great. It's fun, you learn a lot, and you get free ice cream (Who doesn't love free ice cream?!). But ever since two Orange Leaf stores opened in my city, business has been seriously lacking. That is simply business, competition and all. But I've taken the time to scope out the competition, and though it's safe to say I'm biased, I would choose Coldstone over Orange Leaf any day, even if I didn't work at Coldstone.
First, there's the whole ice cream-yogurt debate. People say that yogurt is better for you, which may be true in some circumstances, but in frozen yogurt that is meant to look and taste like ice cream, many artificial creams, sweeteners, and dyes are added to thicken the yogurt, while ice cream is made from all natural dairy products. Coldstone also makes their own ice cream in every store, every morning. No shipments are made---there are no need for them. Everything is made fresh and made in-store.
Second, there's the physical appearance of the store. My theory is that this is Orange Leaf's go-getter technique, the reason they are so busy all the time. They have fun circular tables at all different heights, and some spinny chairs to go along with them. They also have orange and white couches and low tables with strange orange plastic chairs. Their lime green walls provide a sharp, fun contrast to the orange atmosphere. Every time I walk into Orange Leaf, my day feels happier. The bright colors are addictive to the human eye. Orange Leaf gives people a new, innovative feel. It feels like the ice cream store of the future, which is why so many people choose Orange Leaf over Coldstone. Coldstone is out and Orange Leaf is just sooooo in.
But how clean is Orange Leaf? Last time I went there, my feet stuck to the floor. As I walked around the room, choosing my various frozen yogurt flavors and candies, my feet stuck with every step. Like, is it really that hard to mop every once in a while. There were three employees working at the time, and all of them were simply standing behind the counter. So not only do the employees not have to make and serve ice cream to their customers, since Orange Leaf is a self-serve ice cream store, but they don't even keep the store clean while they're working.
At Coldstone, you will never find a sticky floor, or even a sticky table. We are simply not allowed to stand around, and we're not lazy enough to do so anyway. If we're not busy making creations for customers, we are cleaning. We clean the floors, the tables the chairs, the counters, the glass--you name it, it's clean. But unlike Orange Leaf, we scoop the fresh ice cream and add in the mix-ins ourselves, instead of our customers doing it. Which raises the question: which is more important, the ice cream or the service? Good thing Coldstone excels in both.
Finally, there's the cost. Yes, I admit, Orange Leaf is cheaper. And with today's economy, it makes sense why people go there. Orange Leaf charges 45 cents per ounces, ranging from about $3-7 total depending on how much ice cream you get. Coldstone prices vary depending on how many mix-ins you add, and range from about $4-8 total, but we also have 99 cent cones which are popular as well. But with Coldstone, you get plenty of ice cream for the total price you pay, and remember, it's not processed, but made right in the store.
So finally we weigh the pros and cons. Yes, Orange Leaf is about a dollar cheaper than what you would pay for the same amount of ice cream at Coldstone, but Coldstone has real ice cream with fresh mix-ins, and nothing artificial. Coldstone also has better service, as we go out of our way to help customers, and we keep our stores much cleaner. I think we all know the obvious choice.
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