Cold Stone Creamery

What's an ice cream chain like Cold Stone Creamery to do when blizzards blanket the East Coast? Why, turn the heat up, of course. Less than a month after Cold Stone announced plans to test out self-serve frozen yogurt bars, the chain's decided to also head in the opposite direction with a new line of hot desserts. Starting today, customers seeking solace from the cold can indulge in desserts such as Chocolate Lava Meltdown, Churro Caramel Crave, No Fair Funnel Cake, and Brownie a la Cold Stone.

The Plate Desserts, as they're called, are available for $4.99 each through April 30. Between ice cream, self-serve frozen yogurt, and warm desserts, it sounds like Cold Stone's covered all its bases. Do you think this is a good move for the company? Are you inclined to run out and try a Plate Dessert?

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Like cupcakes, the frozen yogurt wave has shown no sign of melting, despite the fact that yogurt bars are jocking one another's ideas left and right, from custom blends to flavors like pumpkin fro-yo.

Nationwide chain Jamba Juice isn't the only company trying to get into the frozen yogurt game. Joining them is Cold Stone Creamery, which is testing out its own version of the self-serve frozen yogurt bar. This isn't the chain's first foray into fro-yo — it jumped on the tart bandwagon back in 2008 — but now the hand-mixed ice cream chain's attempting to monopolize the market with soft-serve versions of its most popular flavors.

The option will be hitting stores on the East Coast, Arizona, and California over the next several weeks. Do you think it'll prove successful, or is Cold Stone a little late to enter the game? I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

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Want to make someone else's day and yours at the same time? Well, today's your lucky day! You can have your ice cream and it eat, too.

Tonight between 5 and 8 p.m., stop into the nearest Cold Stone, drop any amount of change to benefit Make-a-Wish, and score a free three-ounce serving of Jack's Creation, an ice cream sundae with brownies, rainbow sprinkles, and caramel.

With a location just, well, a stone's throw away from our office, I'm sure I'll be participating. Plus, I'm dying to scope out the shop's new line of ice cream that doesn't melt. Are you willing to eat some ice cream for the cause?

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