by TaLeiza Calloway
news@thenewsleaders.com
It didn’t take long for people to get used to eating pizza or a Philly cheesesteak out of a breaded cone during a recent tasting event. Cone Castle, the first of its kind worldwide, opened this week and introduced the community to its signature food and dessert cones.
“We’re really excited to be here in St. Joseph,” said co-owner Jason Neuerberg. “The community has really rallied around us.”
The business opened May 7 at 118 First St. NW in St. Joseph. It has a walk-up and drive-through for ordering. There are 22 employees.
Food cones and dessert cones are priced at $2.99. Combination meals that include a cone, potato (Castle Spuds) and drink are $5. There is also the option to upgrade to one of Cone Castle’s 12-flavored milkshakes for an additional price.
For those who might just want a simple ice-cream cone or other frozen treat, they have those too.
Pat Klimesh of Clearwater tried a Hawaiian pizza cone. She liked how neat the cone makes eating with everything staying contained within each bite.
“It’s really good,” Klimesh said. “I was surprised.”
Jerry Schulke of Big Lake sampled a cone with the fixings of a BLT sandwich. This was the first time he had tried something like this.
“I was very impressed,” Schulke said.
Both Klimesh and Schulke said they would visit the restaurant again.
The look of Cone Castle, its menu and logo for the company stems from a partnership with students from the St. Cloud Technical and Community College. Jeff Palm of St. Joseph teaches in the advertising, communication and design program and created a nonprofit organization (that is also an advertising class) called the Northway Group. Students who run the Northway Group helped shape the look of Cone Castle during the past year and a half.
“We’re pretty proud of this project,” Palm said. “I’m glad it’s here.”
Holly Peka, a former CEO in the Northway Group and recent graduate, said she was excited to see the finished product in person and not a mockup on a computer screen.
The hours for Cone Castle are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. For more information about Cone Castle, visit: www.conecastle.com
