Latest news with #gelato
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What do restaurants in Greater Portland do when the competition is right next door?
Jun. 4—Donato Giovine recalls the "shock" he experienced in 2011 after learning that Brunswick-based Gelato Fiasco was opening a new location on Fore Street. Giovine and his wife, Mariagrazia Zanardi, had opened their own gelateria, Gorgeous Gelato, at 434 Fore St. in late 2010. Gelato Fiasco's new space would be diagonally across the street, a mere cone's throw away. "At the beginning, we couldn't believe our eyes," he said. "It didn't make any sense, given the amount of gelato customers, to have two places, one so close to the other. It was like suicide — we were splitting a small amount of customers at the time." Giovine said he could understand two gelato shops located so closely in a major metropolitan city like New York or San Francisco. "But Portland, Maine, with 68,000 people? It was almost funny." Today, Giovine and Zanardi may not look back and laugh, but they can certainly see the situation with better humor. This city turned out to be big enough for the both of them. Portland's reputation as a foodie destination — bolstered by national publicity starting in the mid-2010s — drew more and more visitors nearly every year. Both shops are currently thriving; since the pandemic, they've been busier than ever. Local food industry insiders say Portland's volume of visitors makes the notion of business territory almost outdated. "In the past, another restaurant opening nearby with even a remotely similar menu or style could be seen as an affront, like, 'They're coming for our business,'" said Peter Bissell, co-owner of Low Stakes Lodge, a western-style steakhouse located just up Exchange Street from chef-owner Harding Lee Smith's steakhouse, The Grill Room & Bar. "But Portland for decades now has been a major food destination. It's a small town with a big-city assortment of food and bev. And when you hit that point, there's enough to go around." "There's too much competition to think that way, to isolate yourself and say, 'We're the only game in town,'" agreed Smith, who also owns The Front Room and The Corner Room. "When I started the Front Room, there were like 85 restaurants in town. There's over 300 now. You have to keep your head down and worry about what you're doing and keep your quality where it needs to be." CLOSE COMPETITON The local food and beverage scene has several other examples of neighbors who have been friendly competitors for years, like Saigon restaurant and Thanh Thanh 2 on Forest Avenue, or Coffee By Design on Diamond Street, just around the corner from Tandem Coffee Roasters on Anderson Street. Craft breweries and beverage businesses have clustered together on Industrial Way and in East Bayside, forming drinking districts that seem to benefit all the operations. "We see lots of cross-pollination that happens, and it's really pretty positive for everybody involved," said Nathan Sanborn, founder of Rising Tide on Fox Street. "It doesn't feel like we're cannibalizing each other so much as supporting." And in Old Orchard Beach, three pizza stands located within a couple blocks of each other — Bill's, Rocco's and Lisa's — have coexisted peacefully for decades, each attracting its share of the throngs of summer visitors. "In a touristy area, it may not matter," said Chris Boucher, a marketing professor in the University of New England College of Business. "If there's a line at one place, tourists will go to the next place. There's going to be enough demand that, overall, I think it actually helps all the businesses." Jason S. Entsminger, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Maine Business School, notes that businesses in other sectors often group together, like car dealerships, gas stations and fast food restaurants. Still, some independent food business owners, especially in less tourist-based areas, feel the concept of territory still applies. "Donuts aren't like car dealerships," said Shelby Omdal, co-owner of Frosty's Donuts in Brunswick, the town's go-to donut shop for 60 years. "Car dealerships can open right next door to each other and they can all be successful. This isn't that type of business, or town." The Omdals were dismayed to learn in late 2023 that Holy Donut planned to open a Brunswick location less than a mile away from Frosty's, as the gull flies. "It was a bold move on their part," Shelby Omdal said. "We've opened other stores, and I wouldn't go to Wells next to Congdon's and think I'm going to open a shop and be as successful as they are." Holy Donut launched in Brunswick last May, and the Omdals recently learned that two other donut shops are considering opening in town, including Portland's former HiFi Donuts. "I think maybe people see the lines coming out the door (at Frosty's) most days, and it's easy to say, 'If they can do that, we can too,'" Omdal said. Entsminger said entrepreneurs may look at a "legacy competitor" like Frosty's and think, "We're going to be offering something that's just different enough that there are going to be people in that market that will want the new thing." Holy Donut's CEO and co-owner Jeff Buckwalter said his company's customers had been requesting they open a Brunswick store for years, and the location they eventually found — a former Tim Horton's on Pleasant Street just off Interstate 295 — was ideal. "For us, a lot of tourists coming to Maine are driving right past that location on Route 1 as they head up the coast, and so we also wanted to make sure we could get in front of them," he said. "It's a great location with high traffic. I don't think it's hit its full stride yet, but given the economic climate, it's meeting our expectations." Meanwhile, Frosty's business is booming. "Our sales have never been so high," said co-owner Nels Omdal, Shelby's husband, noting that the store sold almost 150 dozen donuts in a little over five hours on Mother's Day. "The lines just don't stop." Entsminger said just as customers are often drawn to a new product in a given market, they can also rally around a legacy brand. "The threat of a new competitor entering a marketplace where there's a really well-established brand can drive customer loyalty." NOT A ZERO-SUM GAME Buckwalter said he feels the Brunswick market is big enough to support both Frosty's and Holy Donut. "Provided you can differentiate yourself versus your competition, there's plenty of business to go around," he said. While Frosty's prides itself on time-tested recipes and light, airy donuts baked fresh within hours of purchase, Holy Donut offers Maine potato donuts in a variety of creative flavors, with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. Other owners agreed that distinguishing their businesses from nearby competition is crucial. Giovine and Zanardi are natives of Italy who say Gorgeous Gelato offers an authentic, top-quality gelato experience. "We have very simple, almost boring flavors — hazelnut, coconut, panna cotta," Giovine said. "When you go into the master gelaterias in Italy, they have 12, 16 flavors, and no more. Our gelato is more traditional, because it has centuries of culture behind it. And it's made using Italian taste buds. When it satisfies our taste buds, it's delicious for others. That may be reductive, but that is the key." Gelato Fiasco's website includes a "flavor vault" of more than 1,500 flavors they've offered over the years. Gelato Fiasco co-owner Mitch Newlin said Gorgeous Gelato offers baked goods that his store doesn't have, while he feels Gelato Fiasco may have better vegan options. When Gelato Fiasco was looking to expand in 2012 after five years in business in Brunswick, Newlin said a Portland location "seemed like the next logical step." While they looked at other locations in Old Port, the Fore Street space ticked all the right boxes. "It was not that we wanted to be right across the street from the competition as much as we wanted to be in the Old Port with outdoor seating and a 1,200- to 1,500-square-foot space," Newlin said. He believes there's plenty of overlap in the customer bases of the two gelato shops, and that they're not playing a zero-sum game. "There are a lot of people who will try both of our stores," he said. "They may be here on a three-day weekend. The first day they go to Gorgeous Gelato, the second day they come try us, and they'll compare." Coffee By Design owner and co-founder Mary Allen Lindemann said there's inherent separation between her business and Tandem. "We have different flavor profiles, we source our coffee differently, we have different histories and different stories to tell," she said. Like Newlin, she doesn't feel being located nearby a competitor necessarily cuts into each other's business. "If anything, it brings people to the neighborhood," she said. "People will come and check us both out, and we each have our own loyal followings." Harding noted that the Low Stakes Lodge space had previously hosted another another steakhouse, Timber, for eight years. "I don't think it really affected (The Grill Room) at all," he said. "I've always thought that the more people in the neighborhood the better." "The only thing that Low Stakes and The Grill Room have in common is that there is a steak section on the menu," said Bissell. "There's a difference in ambience, and the other items on the menu." Smith agreed, pointing out that the Grill Room specializes in wood-grilled steaks and has a "clubby, old-school feel" to it, compared to the more casual, fun vibe at Low Stakes. "If people crave a steak, and Low Stakes has a wait and they can get into the Grill Room, I'd expect them to do so, and vice-versa," Bissell said. "Having more options isn't necessarily bad for any one business. It just means that more people are coming to town every year, primarily for eating and drinking, and that's a good thing for everybody." Of course, there's a limit. Boucher, the UNE professor, said if another gelato shop were to open in Old Port, for instance, it might saturate the market, causing one of the three to fail and close. And another donut shop or two opening in Brunswick would further stress-test Frosty's and Holy Donut. "Competition is always good, because it makes you try harder to do better," said Shelby Omdal. "At the end of the day, if you have a superior product that people can't get anywhere else, you've got the magic." Copy the Story Link
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Tourists issued warning over ordering ice cream in Italy
Tourists have been urged to take care when ordering ice cream in Italy this summer as they could be being duped. Italian gelato is world famous for its creamy texture with tourists often flocking to purchase iconic flavours such as pistachio and stracciatella. But they might not be getting the real thing. The Express reports that many tourists are actually buying a cheap copy of gelato with the cheeky scam particularly prevalent in Rome. Foodies at explain that classic gelato is 'churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream'. And there's also an easier way for tourists to spot inauthentic gelato. If the ice cream colours are particularly bright, it's generally a sign that you're not buying a real gelato. Classic gelato is usually pale in colour as makers don't use artificial food colouring during the process. Tourists can also check reviews on Google and Tripadvisor to find gelato cafes with particularly high ratings. One popular spot is Vivoli, a historic ice cream shop in Florence which is home to an iconic new treat. A €6 coffee dessert has become the latest Tuscan viral sensation, drawing crowds of tourists and creating hour-long lines outside the city's oldest gelateria. The creamy drink, called the Gran Crema Caffè Vivoli, is a twist on the classic Italian affogato - a shot of hot espresso served in a pre-chilled cappuccino cup with four strips of smooth vanilla gelato lining the edges.
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Forbes
Eating Around Buenos Aires
The vibrant food of this city hardly needs an introduction. The first time I went, 25 years ago, I was stunned by the fact restaurants would deliver a single empanada. That much, thankfully, hasn't changed. I heard from my very charming food tour guide at Sherpa Tours that she often orders two kilos of gelato when at home and hungry on a night in. Dulce de Leche is beloved in Buenos Aires. getty Dining doesn't get a lot more fun than it can be in the back streets—and broad boulevards—of Buenos Aires. A couple of things set this magnificent city apart from other destinations and they include a remarkable history of immigration, mostly from Spanish and Italian settlers. It has also included numerous Armenians and Jews from a number of culinarily interesting countries; access to incredible grass-fed beef; a fascination with ice cream and dulce de leche-based desserts. Argentine food is very meat-forward, although more vegetarians are emerging in this country. The natives also love to put cheese on everything. That, oddly, includes cream cheese which was even given to us on the national airlines on the flight down. The seminal dishes are almost always empanadas to start, as a snack or a meal or culinary introduction to the country. I found a smaller range of flavors this trip than previously: it was mostly meat, ham and cream and the odd Caprese which is mozzarella and tomato in an empanada casing. Steaks are always divine: ask for medium rare if you want it as the Argentines tend to overlook their steaks (based on previous concerns with food safety). Matambre is thinly cut slice of beef and Milanesa is a classic Austrian Schnitzel. It can be made of veal, beef or chicken. Add tomato sauce, cheese and ham and call it a Napolitana while you are down here. It is delicious but not ideal for everyday consumption. I took my first food tour in Tbilisi Georgia with Culinary Backstreets. It was actually a fun introduction to seminal dishes from the country and let me spend time with an interesting woman and get to know her country better through our discussions. I did another one in Buenos Aires, with a young lady named Lucy, and it was also a good introduction to classic dishes here. We started out with pizza, did down some steaks and ended up with with gelato. The whole tour took place in Palmero, a trendy area in the center of Buenos Aires. This area is a great place to wander and eat, as are the equally trendy 'hoods of San Telmo and Recoleta. San Telmo is as famous for its Sunday, meat-heavy brunches as it is for its antiques flea market. As the neighborhood has gotten trendier the shopping has become less interesting. However, I really enjoyed a simple meal at Cafe Rivas on a quiet corner. The burger is a stunner at the Four Seasons. Liza B. Zimmerman Recoleta is a hotbed of fancy hotels, great restaurants and the cemetery where Evita Peron is buried to top it off. The Four Seasons Buenos Aires Hotel here has a lovely bar space and a sun-filled dining room restaurant that goes by the name of Elena. Major cuts of meat are always in play here (and sometimes you can get the great burger from the bar). The sommeliers also know their way around an unusual glass or wine or two. Because Argentina has many fewer laws about how food and wine can be sold so the country is home to many lovely Puerta Cerradas, or 'closed doors,' which is a restaurant that is operated in someone's home. It is a chance for local chefs and sommeliers to share their visions on local food and open their spaces to guests. Santiago at Casa Coupage. Casa Coupage One of the more interesting ones I went to was Casa Coupage, owned by Santiago Mymicopulo and his partner Inés Mendieta. Their beautiful bi-level home is hidden on a backstreet in Palermo. The couple focuses on modern Argentine cuisine and unusual Argentine wines such as older vintages and blends. Mymicopulo likes to taste them blind, which is always humbling. It is easy to go crazy eating the potentially best steak in the world down here. Two of the more notable, and expensive, options are Fogón Assado and the Palermo in the Faena Hotel, in the eponymous hotel that also exists in Miami. Both serve over-the-top steak-a-ramas with multiple cuts of meat and local wines. Either would be a fitting beginning or end of a trip.
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Telegraph
Europe's tourist cons and how to avoid them
Last month, Paris cafes were caught cheating unsuspecting tourists out of good-quality wine. The scam is simple: bistro visitors order, say, a glass of Chablis, costing around €9 (£7.65). The wine arrives, and all seems well. But sommeliers working for Le Parisien, a French newspaper, discovered that the wine being served was actually the cheapest on the menu – a €5 (£4.25) sauvignon. It's an amusing undercover mission, but reveals how cunning rip-offs target tourists in Montmartre and beyond. It pays to have your wits about you – t hese are some of the worst tourist cons, scams and rip-offs in Europe (and how to avoid them). Ice cream in Rome Similar trickery occurs in Rome 's many, many ice cream shops. No one can blame the tired tourist for wanting a treat after wandering from the Pantheon to the Spanish Steps, or exploring the vast squares of the Vatican. Gelato-sellers know this, too. And, according to locals, those tempting tubs full of fluffed-up, mountainous swirls of ice cream are not the real deal. An authentic gelato should be dense and flat – it's made of churned milk, not cream, and should not be overly aerated. It also should not be brightly coloured – if the banana option is exceedingly yellow, or the mint positively luminous, it's likely that the vendor is using artificial colouring. If you're a purist about desserts, research the best places to eat before visiting to avoid being sold an inferior snack. Pedicabs in London Since the pandemic, a certain kind of transport has become prevalent in London. Blaring loud pop hits and fringed with pink fur, the pedicab – bicycle in the front, covered bench in the back – is now unavoidable. Riders congregate around busy Soho pavements, or try to lure passengers around Green Park. While the cynical Londoner is most likely to give them a wide berth, tourists, it seems, are getting hoodwinked. Perhaps it's understandable – their ridiculousness gives them a sense of novelty, and the city centre can be hard to navigate. Most, however, probably don't anticipate the price. This is something that one Belgian tourist found to her detriment. After riding in a pedicab for all of seven minutes, she was promptly charged £450 for the pleasure. It's as a result of these sorts of incidents that Transport for London has, finally, moved to regulate the group – requiring them to be licenced as taxis are. Whether the measures will stop tourists being ripped off in the meantime remains to be seen. Flamenco outside of Andalusia It's not a scam, exactly, but whether flamenco outside of Andalusia is 'authentic' has long been a bone of contention. The origins of the popular, much-marketed dance form are fraught: most are sure that it began in the south of the country and has, in the centuries since its inception, spread northwards. It's so vital to Spain 's identity that it has been listed as an example of 'intangible cultural heritage' by Unesco. For many years, however, it was seen as a 'vulgar' form of dance, practised by ostracised members of society and far too passionate for more conservative Spaniards. Conversely, many modern iterations – particularly those outside of flamenco's Andalusian strongholds – are decried as a sanitised, tourist-friendly version of something much more vibrant. The idea of a 'true' art form is a complicated one, but Seville and Granada are the places to head to if you want to discover a scene alive for its own sake, not just for tourists. Real fans should visit Seville during the Flamenco Biennial, when a series of performances, talks and courses take over the city. Bad buskers in Athens Athens 's 'bad buskers' are almost humorous (unless you're the one getting caught out by them). The would-be musicians place clear plastic cups, full of petty cash, far in front of them. They then begin to play their instruments – often badly, as the aim of their endeavour is not to secure a record deal. In fact, there's some speculation that the musicianship is poor on purpose, to lure unsuspecting tourists into looking at them. The point is, those not-in-the-know are distracted and knock into that tiny cup. Tourists bend down, attempt to steady the flow of coins, and are told the amount is much reduced by their actions – they must pay the busker more as a sort of compensation. To avoid it, make sure you keep your wits about you (and watch where you're walking). And if you do knock over the collection, don't feel compelled to give away any cash. Cup and ball games, across Europe As old as tourism itself, the cup and ball game – or versions thereof – is a classic trap. Again, the aim is distraction. On a side street, or in a main square, a table will be set up, and visitors will be beckoned over. The particulars of the game might vary, but usually the promise is that the tourist can win money if they correctly predict which cup the ball is under. There may, or may not, be a ball. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that accomplices of the one playing the game are often planning to pickpocket the distracted tourists, taking phones, cash or other valuables without anyone noticing. It's found across the continent (and indeed the globe). The remedy? Don't get drawn in, no matter how good the odds seem – it's not really about the game at all.
Bloomberg
26-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Charterhouse Sells Gelato Maker Casa Optima to Terlos
Charterhouse Capital Partners has agreed to sell Casa Optima, a gelato and pastry ingredient maker, to a group of investors led by consumer-focused private equity firm Terlos, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal with Terlos, which counts IAG Chairman Javier Ferrán and an Abu Dhabi Investment Authority unit as limited partners, could be announced as soon as Tuesday, the people said. The transaction values Casa Optima at nearly €900 million ($1 billion) including debt, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
