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COLD STONE/ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Ice cream, chocolate brands in one shop

Cold Stone and Rocky Mountain Chocolate merged in a Coconut Creek shop -- now that's a treat.

Special to The Miami Herald

You can get double the sweet-tooth fix if you stop at just-opened Cold Stone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory shop in Coconut Creek.

Ruth Spiegel, her husband, Fred, son Stephen and daughter-in-law Queila began serving up the delectable duo this summer.

While Cold Stone's a popular, nationwide treat with numerous franchises in South Florida, most people aren't as familiar with Rocky Mountain. The Colorado-based chocolate manufacturer's website lists 10 locations in Florida, including The Falls shopping center in Miami-Dade. Others are in St. Augustine, Altamonte Springs, Destin, Ellenton, Estero and Orlando.

The Coconut Creek site is the only one in the state to offer the Cold Stone and Rock Mountain brands under one roof, inside The Promenade, Ruth Spiegel said.

The family's franchise is divided into two sections. The Cold Stone counter dishes up ice cream and frozen yogurts with mix-ins such as brownies and fresh fruits, concocted on on a cold granite slab.

The Rocky Mountain boutique displays treats sold by the piece or in decorative gift boxes.

White, milk and dark chocolates are available. The selection includes toffees, truffles, mints, giant nutty bear claws and peanut butter cups.

The price is $18.50 a pound. Gift boxes start at $3.95 for four pieces, Spiegel said.

There's even dog biscuits dipped in pet-friendly chocolate, she said.

A large kettle pot behind the counter is used to churn out hand-dipped caramel-coated apples with toppings such as graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon and candies.

Rocky Mountain is the latest addition to the family's growing chain of local stores.

Spiegel, a former business management professor at Long Island University, and her husband, a retired necktie manufacturer, are former New Yorkers who have lived in Lighthouse Point since 2000.

When their son and daughter-in-law, living in California, were considering a cross-country move to start a Cold Stone franchise in South Florida, the family decided to go into business together.

Their first Cold Stone store opened in 2003 in Coral Springs. Three more ice cream-only franchises followed, in Miami Lakes, Plantation and Pompano Beach.

Stephen Spiegel, a former telecommunications manager, said he and Queila, a retail sales associate, had discussed changing careers.

``I grew up working with my father and my heart had always been to be in a small, family-owned business,'' he said.

Cold Stone offered a product they liked and the chance to be closer to his parents.

``It's great having the family unit together and taking care of one another,'' said Stephen Spiegel, a Hollywood resident.

At all the Spiegel-owned locales, there are 22 flavors of ice cream, including no-fat, no-sugar-added versions, frozen yogurt and lactose-free sorbets.

There's also seasonal favorites such as pumpkin for Halloween/Thanksgiving and candy cane for Christmas.

Customers can get ice cream in cups, cones, cakes, pies, cupcakes, smoothies and milkshakes. Ready-made, prepackaged cheesecakes prepared with Cold Stone flavors were introduced by the company this summer, Ruth Spiegel said.

Prices start at $2.19 for a 3-ounce kid-size creation. A 5-ounce Like-It costs $3.79, the 8-ounce Love-It costs $3.99 and a 12-ounce Gotta-Have-It sells for $4.29. The price includes ice cream and one of some 30 mix-ins, inside a cup.

Additional mix-ins cost 59 cents each. A cone or waffle bowl costs 69 cents. A chocolate-dipped waffle bowl or cone sells for $1.09.

Having the chocolates and ice cream together, Ruth Spiegel said, ``really does fill a niche.''

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