NANIS GELATO INC.

What NANIS GELATO INC. does

Nani's Gelato Inc. is a Canadian artisanal gelato producer and retailer founded in 2018-2019 by Parry Sohi, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company handcrafts gelato in-house daily, blending Asian, Indian, and Italian flavor traditions under the "Nani" (grandmother in South Asian languages) brand story, and sells a menu of gelato bars, pints, sundaes, cookies, cakes, milkshakes, soft serve, and scoops through company-owned and franchise retail locations. It operates a 1,500 square foot master production facility in Mississauga, Ontario, which functions as both retail storefront and centralized kitchen and reportedly increased production capacity by tenfold versus prior food-truck-only operations.

The business operates three go-to-market motions: a direct-to-consumer retail chain, a catering/event services arm (custom gelato food truck with emission-free silent operation, Italian-sourced vintage gelato cart, and table top units for events of 100 to 5,000+ guests), and a franchise system launched in 2022 with economics of a C$30,000 initial fee, 6% monthly royalties, 2% national advertising fees, and C$350,000-C$450,000 leasehold/equipment buildout. The retail network spans 15+ locations across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, with additional sites announced in London and Pitt Meadows and stated plans for approximately 50 locations within three years and entry into the United States market. Nani's Gelato is privately held, founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds in the available data.

Name

NANIS GELATO INC.

Legal name

Nani's Gelato Inc.

Website

https://nanisgelato.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nani's Gelato Inc. is a Canadian artisanal gelato producer and retailer founded in 2018 by Parry Sohi, selling handcrafted gelato and frozen desserts through 15+ company-owned and franchise retail stores and a gelato catering service across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, with plans to expand to ~50 locations and enter the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Gelato and Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy-Based Frozen Novelties Manufacturing (Bars, Sandwiches, Cones) (AFAHAEAG), Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE), Mobile Dessert Vendors (Ice Cream/Dessert Trucks & Carts) (THAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Artisan gelato products
• Frozen dessert catering
• Dessert franchise model
• Handcrafted ice cream
• Mobile gelato catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Gelato Sales: Direct retail sales of artisanal gelato through company-owned and franchise store locations. Products include gelato bars, pints, sundaes, cookies, cakes, milkshakes, soft serve, and scoops.
2. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $30,000 plus applicable taxes. Monthly royalties of 6% calculated based on gross monthly revenues. Monthly national advertising fees of 2% based on gross monthly revenues.
3. Gelato Catering Services: Catering services provided through custom gelato food truck, vintage gelato cart, and table top units. Minimum catering rate is greater of $1,125 + HST or $9 per person + HST, covering up to 125 servings. Volume discounts available for larger events. Serves groups from 100 to 5,000+ guests for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and movie sets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Nani's Gelato handcrafts and sells artisanal gelato and frozen dessert products that blend Asian, Indian, and Italian flavors, distributing them through company-owned and franchise retail stores across Canada and via mobile catering (food truck, vintage cart, and table top units). The Mississauga master production facility supports in-house manufacturing of sundaes, pints, cakes, cookies, milkshakes, soft serve, bars, and scoops, while a franchise model enables expansion with comprehensive training and ongoing support.

Product overview

Nani's Gelato is an artisan frozen dessert company offering a diverse portfolio of gelato and frozen dessert products. The core offerings include sundaes, cookies, gelato bars, cakes, milk shakes, soft serve, pints, and scoops. The company differentiates itself by blending Asian, Indian, and Italian flavors, handcrafting every batch in-house. Beyond retail products, Nani's Gelato provides catering services through multiple delivery formats: a custom gelato food truck for outdoor events, an Italian vintage gelato cart for indoor events, and a table top unit for smaller gatherings. The company operates multiple retail store locations across Canada and is expanding through franchising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sundaes Artisanal gelato sundaes featuring multiple flavors and customizable toppings, sold at retail store locations.
• Cookies Handcrafted cookies offered as part of the artisan dessert menu at retail locations.
• Gelato Bars Frozen gelato bars sold as a portable single-serve dessert.
• Gelato Cakes Artisanal gelato cakes for celebrations, birthdays, and special occasions.
• Milkshakes Gelato-based milkshakes blending frozen dessert with dairy beverages.
• Soft Serve Soft serve gelato served in cups or cones at retail locations.
• Pints Take-home gelato sold in pint-sized containers for off-premises consumption.
• Scoops Single serving scoops of gelato served in cups or waffle cones.
• Gelato Catering Service Full-service gelato catering for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and movie sets, with customizable gelato flavors and on-site service. Minimum rate is $1,125 + HST or $9 per person + HST, serving groups of 100 to 5,000+ guests. Delivered via food truck, vintage cart, or table top unit.
• Gelato Food Truck Custom-built gelato food truck offering outdoor catering for events serving 100 to 1,000 guests, with an emission-free generator enabling silent operation.
• Vintage Gelato Cart Italian-sourced vintage gelato cart for indoor catering events serving 100 to 1,000 guests, with the ability to operate without power for flexible event setup.
• Table Top Unit Mini table top gelato serving unit with capacity for four customer gelato flavors, designed for smaller indoor events.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Greg's Ice Cream: Canadian small-batch ice cream chain with multiple retail locations in Ontario/Quebec. Comparable as a Canadian artisan ice cream brand emphasizing quality ingredients and a multi-location retail footprint competing in the same geographies as Nani's Gelato.

Direct peers

• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt: Canadian-founded self-serve frozen yogurt franchise with global footprint. Comparable to Nani's Gelato in being a Canadian-origin, franchise-led frozen dessert brand with multi-product menus and store-level production.
• Sweet Jesus: Toronto-based premium soft-serve and dessert chain known for extravagant sundaes. Directly comparable to Nani's Gelato as a Toronto-anchored, premium-positioned dessert brand targeting similar millennial/Gen-Z urban customers and event/celebration occasions.
• Yogen Früz: Canadian-origin global frozen dessert / yogurt franchise. Comparable to Nani's Gelato in franchise-led Canadian frozen-dessert model, multi-format retail locations, and growth ambitions outside of Canada.
• Marble Slab Creamery: Canadian-origin ice cream franchise specializing in hand-mixed frozen desserts on a marble slab. Closely comparable to Nani's Gelato in being a franchise-based specialty dessert chain with artisanal preparation, premium positioning, and similar per-location buildout economics.

Broad incumbents

• Dairy Queen: Mass-market franchise chain serving soft serve, Blizzard treats, and burgers. Comparable at a category level (frozen dessert franchise retail) but vastly larger, broader menu, and lower premium positioning than Nani's Gelato.
• Baskin-Robbins: World's largest specialty ice cream franchise chain with thousands of locations globally. Comparable to Nani's Gelato through shared franchise-led retail model and frozen dessert category, though much larger, more mature, and lacking Nani's artisan / flavor-fusion positioning.
• Cold Stone Creamery: US-based premium ice cream franchise chain owned by Inspire Brands. Directly comparable franchise structure, premium-pricing frozen dessert category, and similar mix-in customization model to Nani's Gelato.
• Häagen-Dazs Shops: Premium ice cream scoopshop brand operating company-owned and licensed cafes. Comparable to Nani's Gelato in premium scoop-shop positioning and cafe/dessert-bar format, though owned by Nestlé and lacks Nani's franchise-led growth model.

Emerging players

• Sub Zero Ice Cream: US-based franchise that flash-freezes ice cream using liquid nitrogen for in-store customization. Comparable to Nani's Gelato as a younger franchise-driven concept in the experiential premium dessert category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nani-s-gelato

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 NANIS GELATO INC.