Cold Stone to enter Caribbean market.

Cold Stone Creamery has reached an agreement with Sundaes Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flavorite Foods Ltd., to open up to 14 stores in the Caribbean over the next five years. More specifically, this territory includes the following countries: Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, Saint Kitts, Jamaica, Saint Martin, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Suriname and Guyana. The first Cold Stone Creamery in the Caribbean is slated to open in July of this year in Trinidad and Tobago, followed by another store opening within the territory later this year.

"Since the Caribbean is known as a prime vacation venue, Cold Stone Creamery's latest expansion provides an opportunity to extend our reach and brand awareness to not just the locals of the region, but also to the thousands of tourists visiting the islands each year," said Lee Knowlton, Chief Operating Officer for Kahala. "We are happy to have found a partner with the experience and passion to bring the Cold Stone Creamery concept to life in the Caribbean."

With more than three decades of experience, Flavorite is the leading manufacturer and marketer of branded ice cream products, frozen novelties, and cultured products in the Caribbean region. Based in Trinidad, Flavorite is the largest ice cream company in the English-speaking Caribbean. They maintain the marketing and distribution of products in 11 countries in the Caribbean.

Cold Stone Creamery's international growth began in November 2005 when the company opened its first international store in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Cold Stone stores are operational with more than 100 international locations in 11 different countries, including Korea, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to its Caribbean expansion, Cold Stone also recently reported a double digit sales increase which it credits to the successful launch of its new ice cream cupcakes line in February. Cold Stone Creamery claims it has sold 1.75 million cupcakes nation-wide since the launch.

The company notes that part of the success is due to the cupcakes being promoted at an introductory price "in order to appeal to today's value-conscious consumer."

That success has ...