Some ice cream and yogurt news this week.
Cold Stone Creamery in Starkville is closing. A store representative confirmed to The Dispatch that Wednesday will be the ice cream parlor chain’s last day open. The eatery — located at 605 Hwy. 12 — shares a building with Strange Brew Coffeehouse. The Dispatch could not reach the ice cream parlor’s manager.
The first Cold Stone opened in Arizona in 1988. When the Starkville location closes, the closest one to the Golden Triangle will be in Tuscaloosa.
Moving on.
In Columbus, Smackers will reopen in the spring.
The yogurt shop closed recently. It had been located off Highway 45 North, beside Mi Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, for roughly five years.
Here’s the situation: On Dec. 2, Eat With Us Group purchased the business. Shannon Barkley, director of sales and marketing with Eat With Us Group, said the plan is to open back up “around the first of March.” The new location will be in Jackson Square at 2015 Hwy. 45 N. It will occupy a 1,250 square foot space beside Sweet Peppers Deli.
“Smackers will have a new look and will have an entrance from inside Peppers in addition to a regular front door,” Barkely said. “Smackers will also sell all the desserts offered by Peppers including cookies and cheesecakes.”
Smackers will employ eight to 10 people when it reopens. Barkley said all of the existing Smackers employees were offered jobs at Peppers until the yogurt shop reopens. Five accepted.
Lastly, Blue Bell Ice Cream has announced it will begin servicing Memphis and the surrounding areas on Jan. 11.
Ricky Dickson, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Bell, said the “surrounding areas” include northern Mississippi and the Golden Triangle.
The Texas-based company, which was founded in 1907, recalled all products in April after some of its ice cream was linked to 10 listeria cases. Listeria primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Blue Bell said it will bring back 23 employees at its Memphis branch distribution facility who were put on paid furlough earlier this year. The flavors that will be produced: Buttered Pecan, Cookies ‘n Cream, Dutch Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, Peppermint, Pistachio Almond and The Great Divide.
Browning on Business is a weekly column that runs each Thursday. We want your input. Send items and tips to [email protected] or [email protected].
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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