James Hay and Susie Taylor own and operate a Cold Rock Ice Creamery franchise at North Lakes in Brisbane. 

The pair previously held upper management roles in the cinema industry, which they thoroughly enjoyed, however they had always dreamed of owning their own business.

“From the early days, we both knew that we would like to invest our time and effort into something we could call our own.

“Cold Rock fits us perfectly, and our combined experience and different skill sets meant we could bring the full package, from dealing with customers and retail relations to managing a business  – it has provided us with a great foundation to propel our small business,” they say.

James and Susie are pleased with how the brand presents itself to customers, as well as the systems and processes head office implements from an operational perspective.

“Cold Rock is exciting, fun and enjoyable and people are always happy enjoying an ice cream treat. We love that it’s Australian and above all, that it offers great tasting ice cream!

“We’ve been able to easily adapt to what is a simple concept and process. We were drawn to Cold Rock as a franchising business because it is small, manageable and has very low wastage,” the pair explains.

The store has proved successful so far, and they recognise the input of head office in helping them get the store to where it is today. “The support, training and education provided by Cold Rock head office has enabled us to kick start what we can now proudly call a flourishing business.

“Being able to ask for advice and bounce ideas around has enabled us to continue to grow our store and keep our business exciting.”

James and Susie admit the day-to-day running of the franchise can be hard work, yet they are fans of the fact that no two days are ever the same. “We love that it’s never dull,” they explain. 

“Working out goals and expectations and making these achievable is probably the biggest challenge we face… and committing to working long days!” 

They have plans to continue to build the business by serving up the brand’s signature style of ice cream – where customers pick a flavour and proceed to choose additional ingredients to mix in, such as mars bars and gummi bears, with a smile.