Gelato Fiasco
Gelato Fiasco is a Maine-based artisanal gelato and sorbetto company operating two scoop shops, mobile trucks, grocery pint distribution across New England and select national chains, nationwide DTC shipping, and full-service event catering, built on a proprietary library of 1,500+ recipes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersBrunswick, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Gelato Fiasco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gelato Fiasco
- Legal name
- Gelato Fiasco
- Website
- https://gelatofiasco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gelato Fiasco is a Maine-based artisanal gelato and sorbetto company operating two scoop shops, mobile trucks, grocery pint distribution across New England and select national chains, nationwide DTC shipping, and full-service event catering, built on a proprietary library of 1,500+ recipes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gelato Fiasco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Gelato and Sorbetto
- NAICS
- Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)
- SIC
- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Dairy Wholesale (AFAIAEAF)
Keywords
Where Gelato Fiasco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brunswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Gelato Fiasco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Pints: Gelato and sorbetto pints sold at grocery stores throughout New England, including Whole Foods Market, Hannaford, independent grocers, and select Walmart, Shaw's, and Market Basket locations. National distribution through various retailers.
- In-Store Scoop Shop Sales: Two scoop shop stores in Brunswick and Portland, Maine offering 30-40 flavors of fresh gelato and sorbetto daily, along with espresso, affogato, and coffee. Plus a Gelato Truck on Eastern Prom in Portland.
- Nationwide Home Shipping: Direct-to-consumer online store shipping gelato pints nationwide via UPS with dry ice. Also offers gift cards, e-gift cards, and custom 6-packs.
- Event Catering: Full-service gelato catering for weddings, parties, and business events across New England. Pricing averages approximately $8 per guest for full-service events of 75-300+ people.
- Restaurant Wholesale: Gelato delivered to better restaurants in Maine each week, with a seven-day lead time required. Restaurants can order gallons for scooping.
- Red Spoon Society Loyalty Program: Free rewards program earning 2 points per $1 spent in stores. Rewards include free dishes, t-shirts, gelato parties, flavor naming rights, and merchandise. Drives customer retention and repeat visits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full-Service Wedding Catering |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Alternative Catering Packages |
| Freemium | Monthly | Red Spoon Society Loyalty Program |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Online Pint Shipping |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Gelato Fiasco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gelato Fiasco manufactures and sells artisanal Italian-style gelato and sorbetto made fresh daily from Maine-sourced milk and natural ingredients across more than 1,500 proprietary recipes. Distribution spans owned scoop shops in Brunswick and Portland, Maine, mobile gelato trucks, grocery pint distribution across New England and select national retailers, nationwide direct-to-consumer online shipping, restaurant wholesale, and full-service event catering for weddings and corporate functions.
Product overview
Gelato Fiasco is an artisanal gelato and sorbetto company founded in 2007, offering a portfolio of products centered on Italian-style frozen desserts made with Maine milk and natural ingredients. The core product line includes fresh gelato and sorbetto available at two Maine scoop shops (Brunswick Flagship Store and Portland Old Port Store) with 30-40 daily rotating flavors, plus all-natural pints sold at grocery stores nationwide. Additional revenue channels include mobile retail (Eastern Prom Gelato Truck and Special Events Truck), catering services for weddings and corporate events, a God of Thunder Coffee Bar, a Red Spoon Society loyalty program, and an online store with nationwide shipping. The company operates with a collection of over 1,500 flavor recipes and emphasizes sustainable practices including paper packaging and local dairy sourcing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Spoon Society: Gelato Fiasco's elite rewards program offering points for purchases in Maine stores and at the Gelato Truck, with rewards including free gelato, t-shirts, gelato parties, and the ability to name a flavor.
- God of Thunder Coffee
Quantifiable outcome
- Scooping for Community Program donated more than $100,000 to 50+ Maine non-profit organizations over its lifetime.
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Gelato Fiasco
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gelato Fiasco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature3 records
Gelato Fiasco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- DuckfatminorDuckfat, a Portland, Maine restaurant, makes milkshakes using Gelato Fiasco gelato, creating a collaborative cross-promotion between two local food businesses.
- MicucciminorPortland grocery store Micucci offers Gelato Fiasco gelato in pints for retail purchase, serving as an independent specialty food retailer carrying the brand.
- Farmer's FareminorFarmer's Fare in Rockport features a private-label gelato freezer produced exclusively by Gelato Fiasco. A pay-it-forward gelato freezer concept.
- Fairway MarketminorFairway Market carries Gelato Fiasco pints at their northern New Jersey locations, as noted in reviews by The Record newspaper.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gelato Fiasco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ciao Bella: Artisanal gelato and sorbetto brand with grocery pint distribution. Direct category peer on gelato-specific positioning and natural ingredient sourcing.
- Salt & Straw: Craft ice cream scoop shop chain with wholesale pint distribution and a strong flavor innovation story. Comparable in artisanal positioning, founder-led brand, and emphasis on creative limited-edition flavors.
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium craft ice cream and vegan ice cream brand with grocery pint distribution, scoop shops in major US cities, and D2C nationwide shipping. Closely comparable premium positioning and multi-channel GTM.
- Graeter's: Family-owned craft ice cream brand operating scoop shops and grocery pint distribution. Closely comparable on founder-led heritage brand, regional roots, and multi-generational family operation.
- Talenti: Gelato and sorbetto pint brand sold in grocery stores nationwide. Most direct category competitor to Gelato Fiasco's pint business, now owned by Unilever with significantly deeper distribution and marketing budgets.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Artisanal scoop shop and pint brand with national grocery and D2C distribution. Comparable on craft positioning, recipe-driven differentiation, and multi-channel retail + scoop shop model.
Regional players
- Grom: Authentic Italian gelato chain founded in Turin with international scoop shop presence (now part of Unilever). Comparable on Italian gelato-making techniques, premium positioning, and emphasis on traditional methods.
Broad incumbents
- Ben & Jerry's: Unilever-owned premium ice cream brand with grocery, scoop shop, and catering presence. Comparable on flavor innovation, mission-driven brand, and scoop shop + pint distribution model.
- Häagen-Dazs: Iconic premium ice cream and gelato brand owned by General Mills with ubiquitous grocery and foodservice distribution. Comparable premium positioning but vastly larger scale and budget.
Emerging players
- Ample Hills Creamery: Brooklyn-based craft ice cream scoop shop and pint brand. Comparable on founder-led premium positioning, scoop shop + wholesale model, and creative flavor innovation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gelato Fiasco social profiles
Digital presenceGelato Fiasco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gelato Fiasco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gelato Fiasco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gelato Fiasco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gelato Fiasco
What does Gelato Fiasco do?
Gelato Fiasco manufactures and sells artisanal Italian-style gelato and sorbetto made fresh daily from Maine-sourced milk and natural ingredients across more than 1,500 proprietary recipes. Distribution spans owned scoop shops in Brunswick and Portland, Maine, mobile gelato trucks, grocery pint distribution across New England and select national retailers, nationwide direct-to-consumer online shipping, restaurant wholesale, and full-service event catering for weddings and corporate functions.
Is Gelato Fiasco a public or private company?
Gelato Fiasco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gelato Fiasco founded?
Gelato Fiasco was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gelato Fiasco based?
Gelato Fiasco is headquartered in Brunswick, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gelato Fiasco make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Pints are the primary driver. The others are in-Store Scoop Shop Sales, nationwide Home Shipping, event Catering, restaurant Wholesale and red Spoon Society Loyalty Program.
Who are Gelato Fiasco's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ciao Bella, Salt & Straw, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Graeter's, Talenti and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Grom is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs. Ample Hills Creamery is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gelato Fiasco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gelato Fiasco.
What industry is Gelato Fiasco in?
Gelato Fiasco's product category is Artisanal Gelato and Sorbetto. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAA, Ice Cream & Gelato Shops, with a secondary code of AFAKAKAE, Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 31152 and its SIC code is 2024.