By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Chill out in style as Cold Stone Creamery scoops up fresh delights in the heart of downtown Hays.
The chain restaurant, 507 Main St., is in the former Hays Daily News location, which is also the home of TreeTop Security and STEM Harvest, a science, engineering, technology and math learning center.
Dallas Haselhorst, TreeTop Security and STEM Harvest Founder, initially needed 6,000 square feet to house his two operations but purchased the 18,000 square foot building instead.
“My wife and I were sitting there going, 'Jeez, this building's way bigger than what we needed,'” Haselhorst said. “It came down to what else do you want to do, and I think both of us simultaneously said, 'Cold Stone.'”
The first conversations about Cold Stone were had between the two before the purchase of the building was even finalized, going as far back as 2019.
“Our family loves ice cream. When we go out of town, we seek out Cold Stone, and it just felt like the perfect fit for our location,” Haslehorst said.
Haselhorst said he thinks Cold Stone Creamery will draw attention to the downtown area and inspire visitors to return for future events.
“I think not just downtown but really all of Hays will benefit from it because people are going to get pulled off from interstate,” he said. “It’s a destination place for people coming into Hays and going, 'Wow this place is really neat. We should come back sometime.'”
Cold Stone officially opened on Halloween, giving 450 ice cream cones to young trick-or-treaters.
The establishment offers indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a convenient walk-up window designed for large sports teams seeking treats. The building has electric vehicle chargers on its south side.
“The idea was people plug their electric vehicle, grab an ice cream cone and walk around downtown to see the sights,” Haselhorst said.
Haselhorst said the Cold Stone experience in Hays stands out from what you would encounter at other Cold Stone locations across the state.
“A lot of people haven't been to a singing Cold Stone because a lot of the ones in Kansas and Nebraska don’t do it,” he said. “We'll be one of the few at least in Kansas for several hours in either direction.”
Ice cream flavors featured on the menu include Cheesecake Fantasy, Banana Caramel Crunch, Cookie Mintster, Surrender to Strawberry and Germanchokolatekake.
“There are about 12 required flavors that we have to carry, and then there’s about another 60 flavors that we can carry. That doesn’t include your seasonal items,” Haselhorst said.
In the near future, Cold Stone plans to introduce new and exclusive flavors, aiming to incorporate customer suggestions as well.
Haselhorst envisions numerous chances for Cold Stone to partner and engage with the Hays community.
“We're week one in trying to get our feet under us, but, at the same time, we’re looking toward the future already too,” he said.
Cold Stone Creamery is open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You can also follow Cold Stone on Facebook.