Gelato Festival

What Gelato Festival does

Gelato Festival (legally Gelato Experience LLC in the US) is a privately held artisanal gelato producer and global competition operator founded in 2010 by Gabriele Poli in Florence, Italy. The company operates two interrelated businesses: a consumer packaged goods business selling dairy and oat-based gelato in pint (16oz) and single-serve (5oz) formats through US retail distribution (entered in 2024) and a food service business supplying bulk gelato (3-gallon tubs, gallon mixes, 5L formats) to restaurants, hotels, and gelaterias. It also owns and operates the Gelato Festival World Masters, a global gelato competition and ranking platform held across Europe, Asia, and the Americas since 2018, which serves as a brand-building engine and pipeline for artisan engagement.

The company's core technology centers on a proprietary "Cascade Process" described as the largest R&D innovation in gelato manufacturing, combined with formulations emphasizing organic, clean-label ingredients (organic milk base, Madagascar vanilla, Dominican fair trade chocolate, Sicilian pistachio) and an expanding non-dairy portfolio (oat-based gelato and water-based sorbettos). Product breadth spans over 20 flavors across dairy and vegan lines. Its value proposition combines "America's First Award Winning Organic gelato" positioning for retail consumers, B2B quality and consistency for food service operators, and a prestigious global competition platform for gelato artisans.

The revenue model is multi-stream: retail pint and single-serve sales distributed through retail partners via a Stockist store locator, direct B2B food service/bulk sales (contact-form based with no published pricing), event-driven revenue from global World Masters competitions, and partnership-driven brand activations (e.g., Soho House at Coachella 2022, CMAB at 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show). The company does not disclose pricing, revenue, funding, or employee compensation; it has raised no institutional capital and remains founder-controlled. Customer segments include retail consumers (primary), food service/hospitality operators, and gelato enthusiasts/event attendees.

Name

Gelato Festival

Legal name

Gelato Experience LLC

Website

https://gelatofestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gelato Festival (Gelato Experience LLC) is a Florence-founded artisanal gelato producer and global competition operator that sells organic dairy and oat-based gelato in pints, single-serves, and food-service bulk formats through US retail, hospitality, and event channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Frozen Desserts / Gelato

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gelato Manufacturing (AFAHAEAD), Plant-Based Frozen Desserts Processing (Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Gelato, Novelties) (AFAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Artisanal gelato
• Frozen desserts
• Organic gelato
• Gelato competitions
• Food service gelato

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Gelato Sales: Direct-to-consumer and retail sales of gelato in pints (16oz) and single-serve (5oz) formats through physical retail locations. Products include dairy (Vanilla Honey Pecan, Stupify Cookie Butter, Lemon Ricotta, Dolcevita Hazelnut Choco Chip, Salted Caramel Choco Chip, Coffee Cookie Crumble, Choco Choco Chip) and non-dairy/oat-based (Pistachio Sea Salt Oat, Peanut Butter Banana Oat, Choco Choco Chip Oat) and sorbettos (Lemon, Mango Lime, Raspberry, Coconut).
2. Food Service / Bulk Products: Bulk gelato sales to food service and hospitality operators in 3-gallon tubs (Vanilla, Chocolate, Stupify), gallon mixes (Vanilla, Chocolate), and 5L formats. Over 20+ flavors available in food service sizes for restaurants, hotels, and catering operations.
3. Gelato Festival World Masters Competitions: Revenue generated through gelato competition events across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, showcasing artisanal gelato and crowning the finest gelato makers. Competitions are open exclusively to gelato chefs who enter a flavor of their choice with a technical panel evaluation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gelato Festival produces and sells artisanal gelato across retail pints (16oz) and single-serve containers (5oz), plus bulk food service formats (3-gallon tubs, gallon mixes, 5L packs) for restaurants, hotels, catering, and gelaterias. The portfolio spans traditional dairy and oat-based vegan lines plus sorbetto flavors, manufactured using the proprietary Cascade Process and organic ingredients. The company also operates the Gelato Festival World Masters, a global gelato competition and ranking platform held across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Product overview

Gelato Festival operates as a gelato brand and global competition platform. The product portfolio consists of retail pints (16oz) and single-serve containers (5oz) for consumer purchase, alongside professional foodservice products including 3-gallon tubs and gallon mixes for gelaterias and restaurants. The company offers two main product lines: traditional dairy gelato (milk-based) featuring over 20 classic and innovative flavors like Stupify Cookie Butter, Pistachio, and Vanilla Honey Pecan, and non-dairy/vegan options using oat base or water-based sorbetto formulations with flavors like Vanilla Oat, Mango Sorbetto, and Blood Orange Sorbetto. Additionally, Gelato Festival World Masters is a global competition platform that celebrates and ranks gelato artisans worldwide through regional events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gelato Festival World Masters: Professional gelato competition platform and world ranking system for gelato artisans

Products and services

• Pint-Size Gelato (16oz) Retail pint containers (16oz) of artisanal gelato available in dairy and non-dairy (oat-based) varieties, featuring flavors such as Vanilla Honey Pecan, Stupify Cookie Butter, Lemon Ricotta, Dolcevita Hazelnut Choco Chip, Salted Caramel Choco Chip, Coffee Cookie Crumble, Choco Choco Chip, Pistachio Sea Salt Oat, Peanut Butter Banana Oat, Mango Lime Sorbetto, Coconut Sorbetto, Lemon Sorbetto, and Raspberry Sorbetto. Sold to retail consumers via physical storefronts.
• Single-Serve Gelato (5oz) Mini 5oz single-serve containers of gelato for grab-and-go consumption, including Vanilla Honey, Chocolate, Stupify Cookie Butter, and Mandarino Sorbetto flavors. Targeted at retail consumers seeking portable portions.
• Foodservice 5L Packs Professional-grade gelato in 5L containers for gelaterias and restaurants, available in over 20 dairy and non-dairy flavors including Vanilla, Chocolate, Pistachio, Stupify Cookie Butter, Birthday Cake, and various vegan sorbettos.
• Vanilla Gallon Mix Milk base gallon mix made with Madagascar vanilla for professional gelato makers (Item number 1081XX1GAL, case pack of 2). Sold to food service and gelateria operators.
• Chocolate Gallon Mix Milk base gallon mix made with Dominican fair trade cocoa for professional gelato makers (Item number 1082XX1GAL). Sold to food service and gelateria operators.
• Vanilla Tub (3 Gallon) Large 3-gallon tub of vanilla gelato for foodservice establishments (Item number 1081XX3GAL). Sold to restaurants, hotels, and gelaterias.
• Stupify Tub (3 Gallon) Large 3-gallon tub of Stupify Cookie Butter gelato with speculoos cookies for foodservice establishments (Item number 1037XX3GAL). Sold to restaurants, hotels, and gelaterias.
• Chocolate Tub (3 Gallon) Large 3-gallon tub of chocolate gelato for foodservice establishments (Item number 1082XX3GAL). Sold to restaurants, hotels, and gelaterias.
• Gelato Festival World Masters Global gelato competition platform that ranks and celebrates the world's finest gelato makers through regional events and world finals held across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Open exclusively to gelato chefs who enter a flavor of their choice for technical panel evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded in 2010, grew from local Florence competitions to global events across Europe, Asia, and Americas by 2024

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• California Milk Advisory BoardcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2026Gelato Festival participated in the California Milk Advisory Board's showcase of innovative specialty dairy products at the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, June 28-30, 2026. CMAB is recruiting participants for the 8th annual Real California Milk Excelerator product innovation competition. California leads the nation in milk production and is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt.
• Karoun DairiesminorOthers · 28 June 2026California dairy processor co-exhibiting with Gelato Festival at the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show under the California Milk Advisory Board showcase, featuring cheese, gelato, desserts, and dairy-based snacks.
• Petit PotminorOthers · 28 June 2026California dairy processor co-exhibiting with Gelato Festival at the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show under the California Milk Advisory Board showcase.
• Sierra Nevada Cheese Co.minorOthers · 28 June 2026California dairy processor co-exhibiting with Gelato Festival at the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show under the California Milk Advisory Board showcase.
• YahYahYahminorOthers · 28 June 2026California dairy processor co-exhibiting with Gelato Festival at the 2026 Summer Fancy Food Show under the California Milk Advisory Board showcase.
• Soho House at CoachellaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Gelato Festival served gelato at Coachella 2022 in partnership with Soho House, a major hospitality and lifestyle brand, representing a high-profile event partnership for brand visibility.
• Giada De LaurentiisflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis collaboration with Gelato Festival in 2021, featuring products and brand endorsement from the prominent Food Network personality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NadaMoo: Dairy-free frozen dessert brand with pint retail and a flavor-driven product line. Comparable as a directly-competing plant-based frozen dessert CPG brand in retail pint distribution.
• Salt & Straw: Portland-based craft ice cream brand with scoop shops and pint retail, famous for inventive small-batch flavors. Directly comparable on artisanal positioning, scoop-shop-plus-retail-pint model, and LA presence.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium US ice cream brand selling pints through retail and DTC, with a notable non-dairy cashew/oat-based line and creative flavors. Closely comparable on product format, retail channel, and plant-based positioning.
• McConnell's Fine Ice Creams: California-based premium ice cream brand with scoop shops, pint retail, and foodservice presence. Comparable as a California craft ice cream brand with simultaneous retail and foodservice channels.
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium scoop/pint ice cream brand with strong retail and DTC, innovative flavors, and scoop shops. Comparable on artisanal positioning, retail pint strategy, and craft-food brand-building.
• Ciao Bella Gelato: US gelato brand selling pints through retail and foodservice channels, with creative flavor profile. Directly comparable on US gelato manufacturing and retail/foodservice distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Oatly: Global oat-based dairy alternative brand that has expanded into frozen desserts. Comparable as the oat-based platform source Gelato Festival's plant-based line competes with in ingredient positioning and brand recognition.
• Talenti: Mass-market premium gelato brand owned by Unilever, dominant in US pint retail with broad grocery distribution. Comparable as the category leader Gelato Festival must compete against on shelf space.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé, with extensive foodservice and retail presence. Comparable as the broad incumbent Gelato Festival competes with in both retail pint and foodservice bulk channels.

Regional players

• Gelato Messina: Australia-based premium gelato brand with scoop shops and growing retail/foodservice offerings, plus a global gelato competition. Comparable on global competition IP and premium gelato brand model, though operating primarily outside the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FestivalGelato
• Facebookfacebook.com/GelatoFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/gelatofestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gelatofestival

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gelato Festival