Gelateando is a dream come true! I am Adriana Jaar, born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Central America. I am a 27-year-old Gelataia (Italian for "gelato maker") who accomplished a dream and has been very popular in this amazing country called Honduras!
I studied my masters in Bologna at Bologna Business School, a branch of the University of Bologna. I won a scholarship while applying for my master's degree in Marketing, Communication and Social Media. After a while in Bologna, my passion for gelato grew stronger day by day. I had an amazing gelato shop next to my apartment and it was specifically the gelato cheesecake the one that made me addicted. As time passed, I knew I wanted to open a gelato parlor in my city since it is such a warm country. I knew the typical ice cream was very popular here but I wanted to spread artisan gelato culture.
Then I discovered the Gelato University, took Carpigiani's courses and got certified! Those intensive yet fun weeks taught me not only how to make real Italian gelato but also how to make my dream come true!
When did you decide to open a gelato shop? Has it always been a dream of yours or was it a sudden decision?
I knew I wanted to open my own business, but I had so many ideas in mind that I was not sure which one it would be. Once I was living in Bologna the idea of a gelato parlor grew more and more. During that year I started finding out about many companies that produce products for gelato and machinery. I began contacting companies near my country but everything ended up with Carpigiani since it has been a company with such great quality products. I took the courses to make sure this was my real passion, and the Gelato University was the last test I had set to make sure this is what I really wanted, and so it was!
Why did you decide to produce and sell gelato?
The gelato world is an amazing industry where you can never stop creating flavors. You can go beyond your imagination and creativity and this is what I loved the most! The starting investment was high, but I am still working on it, I know for sure that we will reach the break-even point. I just opened my parlor on the 30th of August 2014. In such a tropical and warm country as Honduras, it is a great option for an investment to produce and sell high quality gelato, especially now that the gelato culture is exploding.
Where did you learn about Carpigiani Gelato University? Why did you decide to register for courses?
When I was investigating about the gelato world, I found the website. Moreover, a girl that worked on a small café in my town told me about the Gelato University and, thanks to her, I found out how great it would be for me to enroll. After finishing my masters, I signed up for the courses to make sure I would not miss the opportunity.
What is the mission of your gelato shop?
Gelateando’s mission is to serve a little piece of Italy in Honduras! To serve the real Italian, artisanal gelato, freshly made every single day. Even our cones and waffle cups are hand made in our shop. In this way, people in Honduras can really enjoy a little piece of Italy right where they live.
What was the inspiration for the name of your gelato shop?
My 12-year-old niece was talking to me all excited about the new parlor we were going to open, and so she said “Tia Adriana, why don’t you name it Gelateando? It’s a funny name!” and so it was… We stopped brainstorming for names because everybody loved it, especially me! It is a creative name and actually stands for what people literally do in our parlor, as “Gelateando” is the equivalent of “gelato-ing”.
Tell me about a typical day in the shop.
It is a shop full of happy customers, especially on weekends, with a lot of color and smiles! It is a fun and vivid place. We start working at 9am to prepare our gelatos and cones-waffle cups, so that we can open at 10am to our customers. It gets very busy, but it is also a fun work that allows us to be very creative with flavors and to get ideas from our customers. We now see many familiar faces that come visit us on a weekly basis. We then close at 8pm, sometimes completely selling out gelato!
What part of your work do you like the most?
Being creative. That is the most fun part of having a gelato parlor. You can go beyond your imagination, combining flavors and creating different recipes. Nevertheless, the most rewarding thing for us is hearing our customers say how much they love our gelato and how they transport themselves to Italy every time they eat our products.
What is your favorite flavor?
Definitely cheesecake, but Lemon Pie as well. I also created a delicious gelato made of Nutella, chocolate, toasted almonds, caramel, and chocolate syrup with homemade brownies.
Is there a flavor you enjoy making the most?
I enjoy every single one of them. I really cannot mention one. The ones I love the most are those that have us go all crazy and start combing recipes! We even made one made of hot spices with chocolate and customers really loved it.
What is your customers’ favorite flavor?
Gelateando (the flavor) is a very good seller as well as caramel and brownies. Cheesecake and pistachio are top flavors too.
In the country where you work, is artisanal gelato known? Or is it confused with industrial ice cream?
It is still confused but the culture is growing. We at Gelateando make sure that our customers know that gelato is not the same as industrial ice cream.
How do you communicate the artisanship of your product?
We use a lot of social media. Every day we communicate as much as we can about our products.
In your opinion, what is the key to success for a gelato shop?
Patience and Passion! If you really love the world of delicious artisanal gelato making, you will be successful. You have to invest a lot of time into the parlor, but if you love what you do it is not like working, instead it turns out to be a part of your life, so much that every day you think about new flavors and ideas. Social media are a big help when opening a small new shop.
How do you communicate with customers and how do you make yourself known? Do you use social networks a lot?
We use them every day. They are a crucial part of our daily job. We take pictures of the most popular products or of the new products and upload them online. We take colorful shots to make them look appetizing. We upload them on high traffic period to gain more followers and reach a bigger community.
How and how much has your life changed since you opened your gelato shop?
I will not lie, the first moths it was really crazy! Opening a parlor is not easy and you have to manage your time really well, but once it starts flowing, it is the most fun and easiest thing to do. Train and invest on your personnel in order to maintain a great quality gelato, especially if you cannot be in the parlor all day long.
What are your plans for the future? Do you want to open more shops?
Yes, of course. Gelateando is going to grow! It is already being successful. Thanks to God we now have a small Gelato cart and we cater gelato to events such as weddings, birthday parties, work events, etc. Our next mission is to open at a shopping center and maybe even expand to other cities in Honduras! I have people already asking if I am franchising it and it is very exciting to see people love your high quality products.
What is the message/advice that you would offer students at CGU courses or to anyone who wants to start a career in gelato?
DO IT! It is the only way to really know if you are really passionate about the gelato industry! The Gelato University at Carpigiani helped me so much to decide if this was what I really wanted. I am actually planning to go back and take more courses to keep improving my products. It is very important to stay connected and updated with everything regarding this industry, so that you are always a number one gelato artisan in your country!!!
Oh, and beware: you will gain a couple of pounds during those courses because you cannot stop eating the delicious gelato that you personally make during those weeks! However, it is worth every pound!
