Las Paletas

What Las Paletas does

Las Paletas is a Cape Town-based artisan ice cream and sensory experience studio founded in 2012 by Diana Chavarro Gonzalez. The company operates as a B2B event catering business, creating bespoke ice cream and sorbet experiences for brand activations, corporate events, sporting events, and private celebrations ranging from 20 to 2,000+ guests. Its core offering centres on custom flavour development, branded lollipop sticks, and immersive sensory design that translates client brand identities into edible, memorable moments.

The underlying technology is artisan food production combined with a sensory storytelling methodology refined over 13 years. Las Paletas offers a catalogue of 35+ products spanning Vegan, Sugar-Free, Sorbet, Dairy lollies, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Scoops, complemented by rental of retro carts and self-service freezers for event deployment. In 2025 the company repositioned away from mass production toward intentional, design-led bespoke experiences, operating under the Alma Experimental umbrella alongside sister brands Flossy & Frosé (ice cream), Torch & Fluff (s'mores), and La Colombiana (Colombian food truck).

The business model is professional services-based: pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, brochures are available for download, and bookings are secured through inquiry and consultation. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, targeting brand and creative teams with named client logos including Burberry, Dior, Kylie Cosmetics, Adidas, Disney, Investec, Old Mutual, Capitec, and H&M. Distribution is direct-to-venue within Cape Town and the Western Cape, with marketing driven through Instagram, the company website, and downloadable brochures.

Name

Las Paletas

Legal name

Las Paletas

Website

https://laspaletas.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Las Paletas is a Cape Town-based artisan ice cream studio that designs bespoke sensory ice cream and sorbet experiences for enterprise brand activations, corporate events, and private celebrations of 20 to 2,000+ guests across fashion, luxury, financial services, and entertainment clients in South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Dessert Vendors (Ice Cream/Dessert Trucks & Carts) (THAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Event catering services
• Brand activation experiences
• Custom flavor development
• Bespoke dessert experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Catering & Hire Services: Bespoke ice cream catering services for events and brand activations. Hiring out retro carts and self-service freezers for events. Customised flavours and designs for brand experiences.
2. Equipment Hire: Rental of retro carts and self-service freezers for events with over 35 product options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Las Paletas is a flavour-driven design studio that crafts bespoke artisan ice cream and sorbet experiences for events and brand activations, offering custom flavour development, personalised branding on lollipop sticks, and immersive sensory catering for events ranging from 20 to 2,000+ guests. The company also rents retro carts and self-service freezers as part of its event service offering, serving premium fashion, sportswear, and corporate clients across South Africa.

Product overview

Las Paletas is a flavour-driven design studio under Alma Experimental that crafts bespoke ice cream and sorbet experiences for events. The core offering includes customizable flavours, branded lollipop sticks, and immersive sensory activations. Their portfolio spans over 35 products including Vegan, Sugar-Free, Sorbet, Dairy lollies, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Scoops, available via retro cart or self-service freezer hire for events of 20 to 2000 guests. Sister brands include Flossy & Frosé (ice cream), Torch & Fluff (handcrafted s'mores), and La Colombiana (Colombian food truck).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flossy & Frosé: A new take on old classics, ice cream brand
• Torch & Fluff
• La Colombiana

Products and services

• Las Paletas Ice Cream Experiences Bespoke artisan ice cream and sorbet experiences for events, offering customized flavours, branded lollipop sticks, and immersive sensory brand activations for client events ranging from 20 to 2,000+ guests.
• Retro Cart Hire Rental of a retro-style cart for serving ice cream at events, available as part of the Las Paletas event catering service for events of 20 to 2,000+ guests.
• Self-Service Freezer Hire Rental of a self-service freezer for events, allowing guests to serve themselves from Las Paletas' 35+ product range including vegan, sugar-free, sorbet, dairy lollies, ice cream sandwiches, and scoops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Events from 20 to 2000+ guests supported

Named customers16 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alma ExperimentalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLas Paletas operates as part of Alma Experimental, described as a 'studio of sensory storytelling held under one roof'. This is the parent/umbrella entity under which Las Paletas crafts bespoke experiences. The relationship indicates a strategic integration where Las Paletas represents the ice cream/sensory experience division of the broader creative studio.
• Flossy & FroséminorOthersSister brand offering frozen cocktails and sorbet experiences. Listed under 'Sister Brands' on the website, indicating shared ownership or strategic alignment under Alma Experimental.
• Torch & FluffminorOthersSister brand specialising in handcrafted s'mores that ignite joy and delight. Listed under 'Sister Brands' indicating shared Alma Experimental portfolio.
• La ColombianaminorOthersSister brand offering traditional Colombian food via food truck for events. Listed under 'Sister Brands' indicating shared Alma Experimental portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Coolhaus: US premium ice cream sandwich brand built around event catering, custom branding, and bespoke flavor development. Closest direct analog to Las Paletas' lollipop-stick branding and event-driven model.
• Milk Bar: US-based experiential dessert brand offering catering and event activations with strong cultural-brand identity. Comparable as a story-driven, design-forward dessert experience rather than pure product play.

Broad incumbents

• Cold Stone Creamery: Global ice cream franchise offering event catering and custom mix-ins. Competes for the same corporate event dessert budgets, though with mass-market rather than luxury positioning.
• Ben & Jerry's: Global premium ice cream brand with B2B catering and event partnerships. Reaches Las Paletas' same enterprise client segments via scoop shops and bespoke activation offerings.
• Amorino: European artisanal gelato chain with premium positioning and event-catering capability. Comparable in product craft and brand-activation orientation, though at significantly larger scale.
• Gelato Messina: Australian artisanal gelato brand known for high-end brand collaborations and bespoke dessert experiences. Closest large-scale analog of Las Paletas' luxury-activation positioning.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global premium ice cream brand with established catering and event-activation partnerships for luxury brands. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same experiential catering wallet.

Others

• Frosty Boy: Australian-origin frozen dessert mix and soft-serve supplier serving foodservice and event operators globally. Comparable as an enabling B2B supplier rather than a direct experiential caterer.

Regional players

• The Creamery: South African artisan ice cream maker with custom flavours and event offerings. Regional competitor for both event catering and premium ice cream market share in South Africa.
• Kunu: South African artisan ice cream brand operating in the same domestic market. Comparable in craft positioning though focused on retail distribution rather than event catering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/laspaletas
• Xx.com/laspaletasct
• Facebookfacebook.com/LasPaletas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/las-paletas

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 Las Paletas