Community Corner

Serving Up Frosty Frogs—Err, Ice Cream

Frank and Glenda Cole run the Frosty Frog Creamery & Cafe in Hickory Flat.

The name just came to Frank Cole one day as he was driving to church.

And you have to admit it's catchy.

Frank and Glenda Cole run the Frosty Frog Creamery & Cafe, a bakery and coffee shop in Holly Springs.

Find out what's happening in Holly Springs-Hickory Flatwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The couple wanted a name that wasn't too childish, and one that wasn't too stuffy, Frank Cole said.

"We started throwing things out and I threw out the Frosty Frog," said Cole as he sat recently inside the cafe after the lunch rush.

Find out what's happening in Holly Springs-Hickory Flatwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Frosty Frog offers more than 250 flavors of gourmet ice cream as well as brownies, scones, pies, cakes and other baked goods. The cafe also has wraps, sandwiches and soups on the menu.

The couple has run the Frosty Frog for almost 10 years. Pretty good staying power for the duo that'd never been in the restaurant business before.

It was a retirement venture for the Coles. She had retired from AT&T and him from an engineering job. There was nothing much in Hickory Flat, Frank Cole said.

"We thought ice cream and coffee would be nice," he said.

The shop started out with a few flavors of ice cream, all handmade. That number has grown to 317 flavors now. Each day, 32 flavors are put out in the store.

Frank says the number of flavors just came from trial and error.

"You just think of something and wonder what it would taste like," he said. Cole's positive nobody else has honey, cinnamon, oatmeal cookie ice cream.

Four months into the Coles' business venture, they added food to the menu. They started with a few sandwiches and have worked up to the menu they have today.

The entire menu is available all day from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Lunch is the biggest crowd they get. Frank says the Frog's cheese spread and its chicken salad "have a following."

Though he admits he's "no Cake Boss," Frank says the Frosty Frog does a good custom cake business. He used to do graphic design, so that helps.

"I've always been able to draw," he said. He, of course, drew the Frosty Frog.

The Coles have lived in Hickory Flat for 25 years and love their hometown. Before that, the couple lived in Woodstock for 18 years.

They've gotten to know many of their customers.

"You'd want that if you went into a business," Frank Cole said.

Frank is originally from South Carolina, but moved here when he was 18 and attended Georgia State. Glenda is from the area. The couple met at Western Electric.

The Coles have one daughter and two grandsons. Frank, 62, doesn't plan to retire anytime soon.

"I'm not a rocking chair guy," he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Holly Springs-Hickory Flat