Following the success of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.’s and Cold Stone Creamery’s co-branded test stores, the companies have decided to expand the number of their co-branded stores to several hundred nationwide.

In Oct. 2008, the two companies signed an agreement to operate a limited number of co-branded stores. Over the past several months, four Cold Stone Creamery stores integrated the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory concept to become co-branded locations. After those locations posted double-digit sales gains, the companies decided to expand their co-branding agreement beyond the test stage.

“While several more stores are scheduled to participate in the market test, the impressive performance of test stores, to date, has prompted Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Cold Stone Creamery management teams to agree to accelerate the number of stores that will be converted to the co-branded concept over the next 12 months,” said Bryan Merryman, coo, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

“Cold Stone Creamery franchisees operate nearly 1,400 stores in the United States, and we believe several hundred could be candidates for co-branding over the next few years,” Merryman adds.