Food & Drink

Dessert shop seen on ‘Shark Tank’ opens soon in Charlotte. Here’s what to know

A dessert shop “revolutionizing the soft serve cone” is coming soon to Charlotte.

Crispy Cones, an ice cream shop specializing in fresh-baked pastry cones, is set to open a new store near the Charlotte Premium Outlets, owner Anusha Appana told CharlotteFive.

The grand opening is slated for May 18, according to the shop’s Google page.

Two hands hold up two tall, cylindrical, fried dough cones filled with soft-serve ice cream and topped with nuts, sauce, and crumbled cookies. The cones are nestled in black paper cups labeled “Crispy Cones,” held by two people whose bodies are partially visible in the background.
Crispy Cones is opening a new shop in Charlotte, marking its second in North Carolina. Courtesy Crispy Cones

The dessert mashup is popular in the Czech Republic and starts with “a fresh dough cone, grilled rotisserie-style” and dusted with cinnamon sugar. Each cone is then filled with your choice of spread, soft serve ice cream, fruit, sauce and other toppings.

What started as a roadside business in Idaho in 2018 has since grown into a buzzy dessert chain with storefronts in more than a dozen cities, including Wilmington. Founder and CEO Jeremy Carlson pitched his business on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and landed a $200,000 deal with Barbara Corcoran.

Two entrepreneurs, a man and a woman, stand smiling on a stage after walking toward the center. Behind them is a large screen displaying the “Crispy Cones” logo and a display table with samples of their product, flanked by two large, cone-shaped props.
Crispy Cones founders Jeremy and Kaitlyn Carlson pitched their European-style dessert shop on an episode of "Shark Tank.” Screengrab from YouTube, Shark Tank Global

At Crispy Cones, ice cream flavors rotate weekly, and new cones drop each month, according to the dessert shop’s website.

Classic chocolate and vanilla are on the menu, alongside more unique flavors like cereal milk ice cream and specialty cones inspired by Reese’s Puffs breakfast cereal.

Customers can build their own dessert or choose from a menu of premade cones:

  • Cookie a’ la mode: Cookie butter sauce, cookie dough, Oreo pieces, vanilla ice cream and Biscoff spread in a traditional cone.
  • Berry cheesecake: Raspberry sauce, strawberries, cheesecake bites, vanilla ice cream and strawberry jam in a traditional cone.
  • Cocoa berry: Nutella sauce, strawberries, vanilla ice cream and Nutella spread in a traditional cone.
  • Brownie royale: Nutella sauce, Kit Kat pieces, brownie pieces, chocolate ice cream and Nutella spread in a traditional cone.

“It’s a perfect treat for anyone who loves ice cream and unique dessert combinations,” Crispy Cones’ website says.

The brioche-style pastries can also be filled with fresh fruit and spreads including peanut butter, Nutella and strawberry jam. Belgian hot chocolate is also available by the cup on those colder days.

CharlotteFive reached out to Crispy Cones for more information and was awaiting a response.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Three large, swirled soft-serve ice cream treats stand side-by-side against a dark, striped background. The three flavors are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, all topped with caramel drizzle and various toppings like chocolate chunks, hazelnuts, and fresh strawberries.
Crispy Cones opened its first North Carolina shop in Wilmington in April. Crispy Cones

Crispy Cones

Location: 8736 Outlet Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28278 (opening soon)

Location: 120 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Menu

Cuisine: Ice cream shop, pastry cones

Instagram: @crispycones

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This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Dessert shop seen on ‘Shark Tank’ opens soon in Charlotte. Here’s what to know."

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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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