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.

Wilshire Foods SA brings more than a decade of experience and managerial skills in several industries in South Africa, including technology, real estate, and mining. It also brings strong food and beverage experience and expertise to the Cold Stone Creamery partnership, with a large F&B foothold across the United Arab Emirates.

Its businesses include real estate development, mining, engineering consulting, green energy development, commercial development, and software development. It is 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 also owns a five-star resort and various multiunit residential properties and developments. Additionally, it holds 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,” says Ridwaan Gouse, executive chairman of Wilshire Foods SA. “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,” he adds. “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.”     

Kevin Blackwell, co-CEO of Kahala, continues, “The blueprint to Cold Stone Creamery’s global success over the last eight years has been our ability to partner with world-class organizations.

“Partnering with such a diverse and respected company as Wilshire Foods SA strengthens the portfolio of our brand and aligns us with an organization that has played an integral role in South Africa’s growth,” he adds. “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, we are thrilled to introduce the Cold Stone Creamery experience to the country’s 50 million ice cream and dessert lovers.”

This expansion will increase the number of countries Kahala resides in 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.