Cold Rock Ice Creamery
Cold Rock Ice Creamery is an Australian ice-cream parlour and franchise chain built around made-to-order combinations of ice cream and confectionery mix-ins.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Cold Rock Ice Creamery is an Australian-owned ice-cream parlour chain whose central proposition is customer customization. Rather than limiting customers to preconfigured desserts, its stores allow them to select an ice-cream flavour and combine it with confectionery or other mix-ins. Staff then blend the selected ingredients in front of the customer, making preparation part of the retail experience. The resulting combinations can be served in cups or cones, packed for takeaway, used in loaded shakes, or incorporated into ice-cream cakes. The brand operates primarily through franchising in Australia. The Australian franchise system was purchased by a previous management team in August 2002, after which the business sought to position Cold Rock as a leading Australian ice-cream franchise. Its store network expanded during the 2000s, reaching its eightieth location in Melbourne, Victoria, in 2008. The chain subsequently had 87 stores when the Franchised Food Company, owned by businessman Stan Gordon, acquired all of them in September 2009. Cold Rock's format combines dessert retail with visible product assembly and personalization. The mix-in model gives customers control over portion, flavour and confectionery combinations, while the in-store preparation provides an element of theatre. The format also supports multiple occasions: an immediate snack in a cup or cone, a larger shake-based dessert, a take-home product, or a celebratory cake. This range allows the brand to operate beyond a single scoop-based offer while retaining its customization identity. The business has also used product adaptation to address particular consumer segments. In May 2017, Cold Rock introduced a range described as “Super Kosher” ice creams and mix-ins. The launch was reported as the first occasion on which an Australian franchising business specifically targeted its products at the Jewish and kosher market. This illustrates how the chain has used its mix-and-match platform to develop offerings for a defined dietary and cultural audience. Cold Rock has also faced the operating pressures common to franchised food and dessert businesses. In 2019, rising costs contributed to the closure of several stores, including locations at Indooroopilly and Springwood in Queensland, placing pressure on the franchise network. The closures indicate that the brand's store footprint and franchise economics have not been without challenges, even though the chain remains identified with the Australian ice-cream parlour market. Overall, Cold Rock is positioned as an experience-led dessert franchise rather than simply a packaged ice-cream seller. Its distinguishing feature is the combination of customer choice, visible mixing and a broad set of serving formats. Publicly available reference material provides information about its Australian development, ownership transition, store growth, kosher-focused product launch and later cost pressures, but does not establish a current executive roster, precise headquarters, founding year, official website or present store count.
History
Cold Rock Ice Creamery developed in Australia as an ice-cream parlour and franchise concept centred on customization. Its retail format allows customers to choose ice cream and additional confectionery or other mix-ins, which are combined in front of them by store staff. The preparation process is therefore both a production method and a visible part of the customer experience. Products can be served immediately in cups or cones, prepared as loaded shakes, packaged for take-home consumption or made into ice-cream cakes. The Australian franchise system was purchased by a previous management team in August 2002. Following that change, management sought to establish Cold Rock as the premier ice-cream franchise in Australia. The chain expanded through the 2000s and opened its eightieth store in Melbourne, Victoria, in 2008. This milestone reflected the reach of the franchised store model and the appeal of a dessert concept based on personalization rather than a fixed menu of combinations. In September 2009, the Franchised Food Company acquired all 87 Cold Rock ice-cream stores. The acquiring company was owned by businessman Stan Gordon. This transaction represented a significant ownership change for the chain and placed its store network within a broader franchised-food ownership structure. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of later ownership arrangements or identify a current parent company. Cold Rock continued to use product development to extend the relevance of its format. In May 2017, it launched Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins. The initiative was described as the first time an Australian franchising business had targeted its products at the Jewish and kosher market. Because the chain's core proposition already depends on selecting and combining ingredients, the launch was consistent with its broader strategy of offering differentiated combinations and serving particular customer needs. The network later encountered cost pressures. In 2019, several stores closed as rising costs put pressure on the franchise, including outlets in Indooroopilly and Springwood in Queensland. These closures show the vulnerability of a physical dessert-store network to operating-cost increases and local store economics. The available sources do not provide a precise total for the closures or establish whether the overall chain expanded or contracted afterward. Cold Rock's historical identity is consequently defined by four developments: the 2002 purchase of its Australian franchise system, rapid store growth during the 2000s, the 2009 acquisition of its then-87-store network by the Franchised Food Company, and subsequent efforts to broaden the offer through targeted products such as the 2017 Super Kosher range. Its principal competitive distinction remains the made-to-order mixing of ice cream and confectionery in front of customers, supported by several dine-in, takeaway and celebration-oriented formats.
- 2019
Several stores close amid rising costs
[1]Cost increases contributed to the closure of several stores, including outlets in Indooroopilly and Springwood in Queensland.
- 2017
Super Kosher range launched
[1]Cold Rock introduced Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins in May 2017, targeting the Jewish and kosher market in Australia.
- 2009
Franchised Food Company acquires 87 stores
[1]The Franchised Food Company acquired all 87 Cold Rock ice-cream stores in September 2009.
- 2008
Eightieth store opens in Melbourne
[1]Cold Rock opened its 80th store in Melbourne, Victoria, demonstrating substantial expansion of its Australian store network.
- 2002
Australian franchise system purchased by previous management
[1]The Australian franchise system was purchased by a previous management team in August 2002, after which the business pursued a premium positioning within Australia's ice-cream franchise sector.
Products and positioning
An Australian dessert franchise focused on customization, theatrical in-store mixing and a broad choice of ice-cream and confectionery combinations.
Ice-cream parlour desserts
Custom ice-cream combinations
Cold Rock's signature offering lets customers select ice cream and combine it with confectionery or other mix-ins. Store staff prepare the combination in front of the customer, making customization and visible preparation central to the product experience.
Served ice cream
Cups and cones
The chain serves its customized ice-cream combinations in individual cups or cones for immediate consumption. These formats represent the basic parlour purchase and allow customers to choose their own mix of flavours and confectionery.
Takeaway dessert
Take-home ice cream
Cold Rock sells ice cream in take-home packs, extending the brand beyond the in-store serving occasion. The available reference material identifies this as one of the chain's standard product formats but does not specify pack sizes or a complete range.
Beverage dessert
Loaded shakes
Loaded shakes are a beverage-oriented dessert format within the Cold Rock offer. They broaden the brand's use of ice cream and confectionery beyond cups and cones, although the reference material does not provide detailed flavour or nutritional information.
Celebration dessert
Ice-cream cakes
Ice-cream cakes provide a larger, occasion-based format for celebrations and group consumption. They complement Cold Rock's individual servings and take-home packs while retaining the brand's ice-cream-led identity.
Special-diet product range · 2017
Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins
Introduced in May 2017, the Super Kosher range consisted of kosher-oriented ice creams and mix-ins aimed at the Jewish and kosher market in Australia. It represented a targeted adaptation of Cold Rock's customization model.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Super Kosher
Australia
Cold Rock launched Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins to address the Jewish and kosher consumer market. The initiative applied the chain's mix-and-match format to a defined dietary and cultural audience.
Outcome. The launch was reported as the first Australian franchising initiative of its kind to target the kosher market. A longer-term commercial outcome is not documented in the available source.
Brand decisions
2019
Store closures in response to cost pressureStrategyBackground
Rising costs placed pressure on Cold Rock's franchise network and individual store economics.
Action taken
Several stores were closed, including locations in Indooroopilly and Springwood in Queensland.
Aftermath
The closures reduced the physical presence of at least some locations and highlighted operating challenges for the franchise system. The total number of closures is not specified.
2017
Launch of Super Kosher ice creams and mix-insProduct launchBackground
Cold Rock's customization model provided a platform for developing products aimed at a specific dietary and cultural market.
Action taken
The chain introduced Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins in Australia.
Aftermath
The launch expanded Cold Rock's targeted product offering. The available source does not report sales results or the subsequent lifespan of the range.
2009
Acquisition of the Cold Rock store networkM&ABackground
By September 2009, Cold Rock had an 87-store Australian network following years of franchise expansion.
Action taken
The Franchised Food Company, owned by businessman Stan Gordon, acquired all 87 Cold Rock ice-cream stores.
Aftermath
The transaction transferred the chain's then-existing store network to the acquiring franchised-food company. Later ownership details are not established by the available reference material.
Recent events
- 2019
Rising costs lead to several Cold Rock store closures[1]
Other
Several stores, including locations in Indooroopilly and Springwood in Queensland, closed amid rising costs and pressure on the franchise network.
- 2017
Cold Rock introduces Super Kosher products[1]
Product launch
Cold Rock launched Super Kosher ice creams and mix-ins, targeting the Australian Jewish and kosher market.
- 2009
Franchised Food Company acquires Cold Rock store network[1]
M&A
The Franchised Food Company, owned by businessman Stan Gordon, acquired all 87 Cold Rock ice-cream stores in September 2009.
- 2008
Cold Rock reaches its 80th store[1]
Other
Cold Rock opened its eightieth store in Melbourne, Victoria, marking the expansion of its Australian franchise network during the 2000s.
Sources1 sources
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