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I am thrilled how popular we have gotten with the new entrepreneuiral crowd wanting to take advantage of latest sensation ( fad, I'm sorry to say ) Gelato business or more exactly "Gelataria". I feel great while at the same time qualified to make acomment on to this new wave . I have been in love with gelato all of my life. I remember when as a kid , I don't know whether 4 or 6 or younger , I waited in line with bunch of kids for the "Barista" to finish making concotion ( I loved nocciola in particular ) at five o clockin the afternoon at which time we kids use our elbows to hit other kid's ribs, so we would be first in line to try the batch and immediately feel another trip to heaven. Gelato has come a long way since those days and it is now an industry. Successful Gelatarias have come alive all over the world and people wait in line ( sometimes) to experience this libatious delight. It is seldom mentioned though that for every big success there are in my guestimation more or less fifty failures. In Italy it's "shick"(or was it ? ) to meet at a cool ( in business fifty years or longer ) gelataria after dinner and have gelato or tiramisu and espresso and cappuccino and at the same time "see and be seen" . This is happening in America also but very very rarely and in very very few places in the country. Ofcourse, we all like to dream that this will become a trend, however I'm willing to place a huge bet that it is going to become more of a rarity in Italy before it becomes a common occurance in America. The fast pace of life will dictate the speed of change . This is what I describe the myth of gelato and now I will describe you the reality I see. I still love gelato the way I did when I was a two and something foot tall , six year old (atleast I like to think so ) but even though I like to eat in fancy restaurant and non fancy alike I invariably have dessert ( tiramasu quite often) and cappuccino or espresso always after dinner but at the same place without splitting the experience in two ( maybe due to the constraint of time). The major players in the gelato industry( with Carpigiani on top of the list ) like to paint you a picture( I consider unrealistic, seen through rose-colored glasses and with the aim straight to your wallet) totally different than mine. Actually, i have been told quite often that I am the only one who sees this way ( or better yet who shoots straight) and although believes in making money would like to be instrumental in helping you to make money too. Here is I believe it works : A) If it is a new business make it a Cafe' and not a gelataria ( your chances for success increase one hundred fold). Rather than investing fifty thousand plus on Gelato alone , spend fifty thousand or less on a concept that offers Gelato , Panini and cappuccino. B) If you have a cafe' and you are toying with the idea of serving gelato because it would make sense to increase your sales by 10/30 % I applaud your decision and I will help you achieve that with less than ten thousand dollars. C) If you are in hotel or restaurant or a country club that wants to get in on this phenomenon I will assist you to accomplish that for less than five thousand dollars. D) I have to point out how convinced I am that in the concept I describe on "A" Panini is the horse and gelato is the cart and although you will reap all the glamor and success of serving gelato fifty or more cents of every dollar that goes in your till comes from Panini( for which , by the way, I'm also an expert ) E) It is worth noting that Panini today is as glamorous as Pizza was in the fifties or sixties and I like also to share with you my convictions that while gelato is "fun" food panini is definately "real" food. I could not conclude this writing without asking for comments from you "the reader" and more comments and or telephone calls from you "prospective entrepreuner" . you can call me at without any strings attached and you will have my honest and undivided attention |