Headline: Dough Cones Hit Marlton Pike — Crispy Cones’ Shark Tank Buzz Rolls Into Voorhees
By Ari Williams — 295Times.com
Voorhees — If you’ve driven Marlton Pike (Route 70) anytime in the last decade, you know the corridor is in constant motion: new businesses, strip-center refreshes, and steady traffic from drivers using I‑295 and surrounding exits to get to work, school, and weekend errands. Now add one more stop to the list — Crispy Cones, the dough-cone ice cream concept that earned national attention after appearing on Shark Tank, is opening a Voorhees location and aiming to become a family-friendly pit stop on the Pike.
What’s opening where
Crispy Cones is setting up shop along Marlton Pike in Voorhees, joining a string of restaurants and retail that make Route 70 a commercial backbone for Camden County. Google Maps shows the Marlton Pike corridor as a concentration of suburban retail, and for residents driving from I‑295 and nearby exits the new shop will be an easy swing-by for takeout cones, shakes, and quick treats.
The brand in a nutshell
Crispy Cones markets itself on a simple, Instagram-ready idea: bake the cone. Instead of the typical sugar or waffle cone, Crispy Cones forms soft dough into cone shapes, bakes them until golden, and fills them with soft‑serve ice cream and mix-ins. The result is less crunchy cone, more warm pastry + ice cream hybrid — a novelty that reviewers on Yelp and social feeds often describe as a “dessert sandwich” that’s fun for kids and adults alike.
Crispy Cones’ run on Shark Tank brought the company national visibility and, by some accounts, investor support — a good PR boost for a franchised concept expanding into new markets. The Voorhees shop is one of several new locations planned around the region, a sign that the concept’s backers see demand in suburban corridors like Marlton Pike.
Why this matters to Marlton Pike and Voorhees
– Foot traffic and family attractions: Marlton Pike is already a destination for family dining and errands. A novelty dessert shop gives families another reason to stop, linger, and combine trips (dinner + dessert, errands + treats), which helps neighboring small businesses too. Local coffee shops, pizza places, and service stores benefit from customers who park and walk the strip rather than speed in and out.
– Redevelopment and placemaking: Route 70 has seen incremental redevelopment — facade upgrades, new tenant mixes in strip centers, and a push for more experience-oriented businesses. A unique, social-media-friendly concept like Crispy Cones fits the placemaking trend: it’s the kind of small business that can help refresh a center without large capital projects.
– Traffic and accessibility: Drivers coming off I‑295 (and the exits that feed into Route 70 and surrounding roads) will find the spot convenient for quick stops. For Voorhees residents who commute on I‑295 or travel to neighboring town centers, having locally grown dining options reduces the need to travel farther out for novelty treats — a small quality-of-life gain for the neighborhood.
– Jobs and small-business ecosystem: New food-and-beverage openings create part-time and full-time jobs for teens and adults, and they increase demand for local suppliers and delivery services. For a suburban economy like Voorhees, that matters.
What neighbors are saying
Online sentiment from other Crispy Cones locations skews positive on Yelp and social platforms, with customers praising the warm dough cone idea and friendly service. Locally, community pages and neighborhood forums have reacted the way most suburban residents do to new eateries — curiosity mixed with cautious optimism about parking and lunchtime crowds. Local outlets such as NJ.com and Patch.com often highlight how these openings fit broader trends in South Jersey, from retail turnover to family-focused dining options; this opening feels consistent with that coverage.
Practical notes for readers
– Expect family-friendly hours and a menu built around cones, soft-serve, and shake-style drinks — the kind of spot that’s popular for after-school crowds and dessert runs after dinner.
– For drivers using I‑295, the Marlton Pike corridor is an easy detour. Check Google Maps for the most convenient exit and local traffic conditions if you plan to stop on a weekend evening.
– If you’re a nearby business owner, consider how the added foot traffic might create cross-promotion opportunities — special offers, combo deals, or shared events can help small centers compete with larger malls.
Bottom line
Crispy Cones is more than a novelty — its arrival is another sign of Marlton Pike’s ongoing evolution into a corridor of local flavor and family-friendly stops. Voorhees residents and commuters using I‑295 will likely welcome the extra dessert option, and nearby merchants should watch for modest boosts in traffic and visibility. We’ll be watching the opening and the neighborhood response — and, frankly, we’ll be first in line for a warm dough cone.
Photo credit: 42Freeway
If you’re tracking openings on Marlton Pike or around I‑295 exits, email tips@295times.com — we cover new businesses that shape our towns, one exit at a time.
