This North Carolina Ice Cream Shop Is Making Czech Inspired Chimney Cakes You Have To See To Believe

Warm pastry is not usually where I expect my ice cream to end up.

Here, soft serve gets hidden inside a hand-rolled chimney cake that comes off a spinning grill still warm.

That contrast immediately sold me.

The pastry follows a Central European tradition, with cinnamon sugar coating the outside before anything cold goes in.

I’m especially into the fact that this whole idea started in a roadside tent.

Now the same dessert has landed beside a busy North Carolina outlet mall and even made its way onto national television.

For me, the fun is watching an old street-food tradition turn into something completely different.

A regular cone suddenly feels a little boring.

The Cone Gets The Spotlight, And Honestly, It Earned It

Most ice cream shops treat the cone like a napkin you can eat. At Crispy Cones – Charlotte, the cone is the star, and the soft serve is the supporting cast.

Each one starts as hand-rolled dough wrapped into a spiral. It then turns slowly on a rotisserie-style grill until it turns golden and crisp.

Fresh off the heat, the pastry gets rolled in cinnamon sugar or a specialty powder. The result looks a bit like a hollow, sugar-dusted tower.

That shape comes straight from the chimney cake family of European desserts. Hungary’s version, called kurtoskalacs, is one of the most famous members of that sweet bread clan.

Here’s the fun part for your taste buds. The warm, crunchy pastry meets cold, creamy soft serve, so every bite plays with two temperatures at once.

You’ll want a spoon for the top and your fingers for the cone later. Tearing off pieces of sugary pastry is half the joy, so don’t rush it.

Fair warning, it’s a tall treat. Grab a few extra napkins before you sit down, and thank yourself later.

A Mission Trip Sparked The Whole Sweet Idea

Plenty of travelers bring home magnets. Jeremy Carlson brought home a dessert obsession that grew into a business.

During a mission trip to the Czech Republic, he discovered trdelnik. Street vendors there sell this spit-roasted sweet pastry, and it clearly left a mark on him.

Back in the United States, he spent about six months perfecting his own recipe. That’s a lot of test batches, and probably a lot of happy taste testers.

Crispy Cones officially began in 2018 in Rexburg, Idaho. Its first home wasn’t a shiny storefront at all, but a simple roadside tent.

From there, the operation moved into a trailer. Eventually it grew into real storefronts, which is how one ended up here in North Carolina.

I love a food story with humble roots like this. It makes each cone feel like a small piece of that long road from a market stall overseas.

So when you hold one, you’re holding a travel souvenir of sorts. It just happens to come with soft serve and zero luggage fees.

Yes, The Sharks Took A Bite Too

Talk about a big moment for a pastry that started in a tent. Crispy Cones appeared on Season 14, Episode 17 of Shark Tank in 2023.

Founders Jeremy and Kaitlyn Carlson pitched their fresh dough cone to the investors. Their main point was simple: a warm, freshly made pastry beats a stiff cake cone.

Barbara Corcoran agreed and made a deal with the couple. The investment closed in January 2023, giving the brand a serious boost.

After that, things moved quickly for the company. It has since grown to more than 30 stores spread across 17 states.

The Charlotte shop is part of that wave of growth. Its arrival brought the brand’s signature cone to the Carolinas in a big way.

Why does this matter when you’re just craving dessert? It means the cone you order has already been tested in front of some of the toughest judges on television.

Of course, the real test happens at your table. Luckily, nobody here will ask you for an equity stake before you take a bite.

Five Choices Stand Between You And Your Dream Dessert

Building your own cone feels a little like playing dessert architect. The menu breaks it into five easy steps, so nobody gets lost.

First comes the cone, either traditional cinnamon sugar or a rotating specialty flavor. Then comes the spread, with Nutella, peanut butter, cookie butter, or strawberry jam.

Next, choose your soft serve flavor. Vanilla, chocolate, and a chocolate-vanilla swirl are always there, plus a weekly specialty flavor that keeps things fresh.

Then the toppings show up, and this is where decisions get hard. Cookie dough, Oreos, Heath bar, almonds, Biscoff cookies, Kit Kat, and graham crackers all wait their turn.

Strawberries add a fresher touch if you want balance. Peanut butter cups, cheesecake bites, and brownie bites lean fully into indulgence.

Finally, a drizzle ties the whole thing together. Options include Nutella, caramel, cookie butter, cookies and cream, chocolate, and raspberry.

My advice? Pair a fruity spread with a chocolate drizzle, or go all in on one flavor theme.

Either way, you can’t really mess this up.

Too Many Choices, The Menu Has Your Back

Decision fatigue is real, especially in front of a topping bar. That’s why the shop offers signature creations already planned out for you.

The lineup includes the Cookie a la Mode, Berry Cheesecake, Cocoa Berry, and Brownie Royale. Chocolate fans tend to circle that last one first, and who could blame them?

There’s also a new specialty creation every week. That gives regular dessert hunters a reason to check back often.

Not in an ice cream mood? Hot Fruit Cones pair the warm pastry with spread, fruit, whipped cream, and a drizzle.

Plain Pastry Cones keep it simple with just the golden cone and a spread. Honestly, it’s a great way to taste the chimney cake in its purest form.

Ice Cream Cups skip the pastry and load soft serve with toppings and drizzle. Gourmet hot chocolate rounds things out when the weather turns chilly.

So even the pickiest person in your group has options. That makes planning a dessert outing a whole lot easier.

Shopping Bags In One Hand, Dessert In The Other

Location is a big part of the appeal here. The shop sits at 8736 Outlets Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28278, in the Steele Creek area.

That puts it right near Charlotte Premium Outlets. A long day of bargain hunting suddenly has a very sweet finish line.

Getting there is simple, since it’s just off I-485. Uptown Charlotte and the airport are each about 20 minutes away.

The spot is also an easy trip from Fort Mill, Rock Hill, and Lake Wylie. South Carolina neighbors can cross the state line and land in North Carolina dessert territory fast.

The brand even calls this location Steele Creek’s sweetest stop. That’s a bold claim, but a cinnamon-sugar tower makes a strong argument.

Here’s a practical tip for outlet days. Save dessert for after your shopping, so you’re not juggling a dripping cone and three bags.

Got a layover or an early flight? The airport is close enough that a quick cone run before heading home sounds pretty reasonable.

Grab A Patio Seat And Let The Ice Cream Race The Sun

Some desserts deserve fresh air. Crispy Cones – Charlotte has a storefront with patio seating, so you can enjoy your cone outside.

The overall vibe is casual yet inviting. Nothing fussy, just a relaxed place to slow down with something sweet.

That easygoing setup fits a lot of plans. It works for a shopping break, a family outing, a date night, or a lazy weekend treat.

Kids will love watching what lands on top of their cone. Adults will quietly love it just as much, even if they pretend otherwise.

The patio is a smart pick on mild evenings. Warm days call for speed, because soft serve and Carolina sunshine don’t make great teammates.

Inside, the counter is where the building magic happens. The ordering process is simple enough that first-timers can figure it out quickly.

Bring a friend and order two different creations. Swapping bites is the easiest way to sample more of the menu without overdoing it.

Late-Night Sweet Tooth, Good News For Night Owls

Dessert cravings rarely follow a schedule. Thankfully, this shop keeps its doors open later than many sweet spots.

Monday through Thursday, it runs from 3 PM to 10 PM. That makes after-dinner trips easy on school nights and work nights.

Fridays open at 2 PM and stretch until 11 PM. Saturdays run from noon to 11 PM, perfect for a full day of shopping and snacking.

Sunday hours go from noon to 9 PM. It’s a nice way to wrap up the weekend before Monday shows up.

Notice the afternoon starts on weekdays. Plan accordingly if you were hoping for a morning cone, because that dream will have to wait.

The late hours really shine on weekends. After a movie or dinner nearby, there’s still time to grab a warm cone.

I think the evening timing suits this dessert well. A hot pastry on a cool night just feels right, and the gourmet hot chocolate helps too.

Take The Party Home With A Box Full Of Cones

Hosting a movie night or birthday? The to-go menu turns your kitchen table into a mini dessert bar.

Experience Boxes come with four cones, spreads, and half-pints of ice cream. Everyone gets to build their own creation at home.

Fresh Pastry Cones Boxes include four cones with spreads for dipping. Tearing off pastry and dunking it in cookie butter sounds like a solid evening plan.

Gourmet Ice Cream Boxes pack four half-pints layered with ice cream, toppings, and drizzles. Pints and half-pints are available on their own too.

Ordering ahead is simple through the Crispy Cones app. Pickup saves time if you’re squeezing a stop between errands.

Delivery is also available through Uber Eats and DoorDash. That means a North Carolina chimney cake can show up without you leaving the couch.

One tip: eat the pastry cones soon after they arrive. Warm, fresh dough is the whole charm, and nobody wants a sad, cold cone.