Considerations For Restaurant Owners When Adding Gelato To The Menu

Many restaurant owners and chefs like making occasional changes to the menu and offering limited specials on temporary items. That keeps things more interesting for customers and lets the owner learn whether it's reasonable to add a temporary item to the permanent menu. A short-term dessert listing might include gelato for the first time or a couple of fancy creations made with this frozen treat.

About Gelato

Many U.S. residents are still unfamiliar with this dessert of Italian origin. It is similar to ice cream but has some distinct differences. Gelato contains less cream and more milk, and it usually doesn't have any egg yolk content. It is lower in fat, sugar, and calories as well. Artisan producers churn the mixture more slowly than is done during the making of ice cream. The result is less air and a thicker, creamier texture.

Why Offer This Dessert?

Many people who love ice cream are still unfamiliar with this particular dairy product. Therefore, restaurants offer an intriguing option for them to try. The menu might even explain the advantages of a creamy dessert with fewer calories and less sugar and fat. Customers will be impressed that this delectable concoction has such a rich flavor and delightful silky texture.

Serving Features

The business owner might begin by offering artisan gelato pints on the menu after buying a certain amount from a food supplier. Typically, this order would be for at least two people to share. Servers would scoop the treats from the original container into decorative bowls or sherbet glasses if the dessert is intended to have an elegant flair.

Flavor Possibilities

The menu might offer just one or two flavors as a start and then expand with a few others once the customer response is evaluated. Although it may be tempting to pick popular favorites, such as vanilla and chocolate, offering something that seems a bit exotic is more compelling for restaurant customers. 

As with ice cream, an abundance of options are available from suppliers. People who like nut flavors might prefer pistachio or hazelnut. Fruit choices could include raspberry or lemon. Salted caramel and biscotti are additional possibilities. If the owner does want to offer vanilla, there could be an option to order it topped with crunchy chocolate pieces. 

Restaurant owners and those in charge of inventory may contact a gelato supplier, such as Palazzolo's Artisan Dairy, for the pricing of gelato pints and ordering information.