COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you want to get your hands on a cold treat that will set your dessert sales on fire, you don't want to miss the Gelato Workshop, to be held Feb. 24 in Columbus, Ohio, the day before the start of the two-day North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS).
The workshop is a two-part event made up of beginner classes for those who want to add gelato to their restaurant operation, and master classes for those seeking to improve their current gelato offering.
Gelato has been served in Italy for decades and is now spreading rapidly to American shores. Some call it the perfect dessert match for pizza, though its all-natural ingredients and rich flavors make it a great finish to any restaurant meal. Fast-growing U.S. pizza-gelato chains include RedBrick Pizza and Gelato di Roma.
"It's definitely catching on in bigger cities on the East and West coasts and gaining in popularity in the Midwest," said Anna Pata, east coast area manager at Pre-Gel USA, a gelato ingredients supplier. "People living in these areas look for it after they come back from traveling through Europe."
Many ice cream store owners are adding gelato as well, said John Kappus, national account sales manager for the Kappus Company, a distributor of frozen dessert equipment and products.
"Gelato makers remind me of pizza operators: they take a lot of pride in using the freshest ingredients to make their products, and they believe theirs is the best," Kappus said. "What we're seeing now are people opening stores selling strictly gelato, or as an add-a-business concept where they fit a gelato cabinet into their pizzeria or restaurant. It's a great way to maximize their business potential."
Pata said that, unlike ice cream, gelato's vivid colors and formable texture make it an eye-catching display-case natural. Many traditional restaurant operators who now sell it, she added, go small at first by offering just four to six flavors.
"It's quite easy to produce," she said. "It's a matter of training employees to follow the recipes and use all the right ingredients."
Class is in session
Pata said the Gelato Workshop Beginner's session, held during the morning of the 24th, will touch on general theories of gelato and its production. "This is for people who want to learn more about it, people who might consider adding it."
The Master's session, held during the afternoon, will feature tips for operators already selling gelato. "This is definitely more advanced for those operators who want to take their gelato operation to the next level," she said. "We'll talk about production and recipes."
Registration for the full-day workshop is $198 for first registrant and $99 for each additional registrant from the same business. The fee for the Beginner class only or the Master class only is $99 for first registrant and $49 for each additional registrant from the same business. To register online, click here.
The cost of all gelato workshops includes full NAPICS registration and access to all Sunday and Monday programs. (NAPICS registration info follows.)
* NAPICS is the largest pizza-and-ice-cream centered tradeshow in the Midwest. The annual event draws 4,500 attendees and more than 200 exhibiting companies. Two full days of business-building seminars are available to all paid attendees. Program details are available at www.napics.com.
To register: Attendee pre-registration is available for $25 until Feb. 23 — a 50 percent savings from registering at the door. All Sunday and Monday events, including seminars, one-on-one help from experts in the test kitchen, World Pizza Champions demonstrations and much more, are included in the registration price. To register online, click here. To register by phone, call 800-909-7469.
