40 Days of Akwa Ibom (Day 9): Uyo’s Domino’s Pizza and Coldstone Creamery – Is it worth the hype?

When a popular pizzeria and ice cream joint opens in your town, you do not need anyone to tell you that it’s the place to be. You gather all your coins, tell your girlfriends to get ready, and then you storm the place!

That’s exactly what I did when I heard that Dominos and Coldstone had FINALLY come to Uyo (I can’t believe Calabar got one before us).

On a beautiful Thursday afternoon, I walked up to the entrance with 2 friends. We were told that due to COVID restrictions, we had to wear facemasks to enter. The sign at the door also indicated that only 20 people were allowed sit in the restaurant at once. Yet, when we stepped in, It was PACKED (I expected nothing less from my Uyo people).

So, I’ll break down my experience and let you decide if it’s worth the hype.

AMBIENCE

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is how bright the place is. There were glass walls surrounding the restaurant which gave it an open, airy feel.  Dominos pizza occupies one half of the space while Coldstone Creamery occupies the other half.

The second thing you’ll notice is how noisy and chaotic the place is. I don’t know if it was because we went during the lunch rush but it was so loud that I developed a headache after sitting for about 30minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, the staff would do the signature chants that Dominos is known for. They’d also chant every time a customer would walk in. I’m sure a lot of people may like all the artistic flair but I prefer a quiet and relaxed dining experience. If you also prefer that, then consider having your food delivered instead of sitting in.

If you love taking pictures for the Gram, let’s just say that this is the place for you. When you visit, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. #instaworthy

WAITING TIME

So, due to budget constraints (aka I need cash resuscitation), I ordered the cheapest pizza on the menu which was the 800 naira Smallie Chicken Pizza. I also ordered a side of chicken and bbq sauce which was 1900 naira. I was told that the pizza would take 15 mins to get ready. My name was displayed on an overhead screen with the time left for my order to be fulfilled. In exactly 15 minutes, it was ready.

The Ice cream was made while I stood at the counter so that took about 5-10 minutes.

FOOD

Let’s get to the reason why we’re all here today.

So, I got my Smallie pizza and went to my seat. Once I opened it, I discovered that the Smallie was an understatement. It was no bigger than half of a small fried egg.

I didn’t let that deter me though. I forged ahead to taste my mini pizza. For the record, chicken pizza should have CHICKEN, cheese, pepperoni and more cheese. This pizza had one or two tiny chicken bits, one pepperoni slice, and no cheese. I mean, Dominos you don’t have to remind me that I’m broke o. I know.

There was a sign that said that you could buy extra cheese from 100 naira but I saw it after I had paid. Maybe it would have tasted better with more cheese.

The Ice Cream I got from Coldstone was amazing. It was a signature creation that had sweet cream, crushed oreos, chocolate chips and fudge. It cost 1400 naira without a waffle cone. With a waffle cone, it would have cost 1900 naira. I’ve made it my personal mission in life to taste every single signature creation they have. Who wants to join me?

CUSTOMER SERVICE

At the Dominos end of the place, the customer service was top notch. My server was polite and helpful because I was a bit confused at first. Even when I had a slight skirmish with the POS transaction, she was very reassuring and that made me calm down instead of panicking.

On the Coldstone end, the story was quite different. First of all, the cup options were so many and confusing. They had advertised so many promotion offers on their Instagram page but failed to indicate that those offers were limited to specific flavours. The server was impatient with us and at some point, she walked away and told us to call her when we made up our minds (let’s just assume that she was having a long day). The next server we spoke to was more helpful and he suggested choices that he thought we would like. His recommendations definitely made things easier.

Paying was a hassle at the Coldstone end as well. After getting our ice cream, our server had to escort us to the pay point where we had to wait for other servers to be attended to by the person manning the cash register. We waited for up to 15 minutes to pay. I just concluded that they were overwhelmed with customers but I hope this is something they work on soon.

PRICING 

This place is not for those with empty pockets okay?

The pizza menu ranges from a small to Chairman size pizza. Prices start at 2000 naira to 9000 naira and above.

Ice cream starts from 800 naira for a single flavour cone to 5000 naira and above for bigger portions and flavours.

Let’s just say that it’s not the kind of place I can afford to visit too frequently. If your pockets run deeper than mine, then feel free to indulge your taste buds.

So there you have it. My Dominos Pizza and Coldstone Creamery experience. What do you think? Is it worth the hype?

Share your experience with us on Twitter @DiseakwaibomNg. Use the hashtag #40DaysOfAkwaIbom