Find out what's behind Gelatissimo's innovative offerings
QSR Media got a chance to sit down with Gelatissimo CEO Filipe Barbosa to talk about innovation in the dessert scene, and how his brand delivers on its customers' demands for creative offerings.
Gelatissimo was founded in 2002, opening its first store on King Street in the heart of Sydney. Churning gelato in-store, using secret traditional Calabrian family recipes, new store openings followed. Today, the brand has stores across Australia, as well as globally in the Philippines, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
QSR Media: What's new at Gelatissimo?
Filipe Barbosa: New flavours are always on the go. We did a “Movie Night” a salted caramel popcorn flavour dipped in chocolate. Other flavours include licorice for Halloween (served with a bit of a difference) and we are finalising a Summer series of flavours you will need to wait for.
QSR Media: Can you tell us more about your development process? How does your brand stay on top of innovation?
Filipe Barbosa: Devoting firstly human resource and secondly staying abreast of what the market is looking for in the dessert space is really important. Then it’s a matter of seeing how we can apply that in the context of gelato. Long gone are the days where plain chocolate and plain vanilla were acceptable. People now expect more and we continually work on ideas that see gelato laden with inclusions.
QSR Media: Are there any plans in the near future you are particularly excited about?
Filipe Barbosa: It’s hard not to be excited in the space of Gelato. But specifically for Gelatissimo we are excited about the prospects of steady growth in the coming years. We are coming off the back of a couple of solid years and we this continuing with more store openings in the near future.
QSR Media: What trends have you noticed with customers in the dessert space?
Filipe Barbosa: More innovative and more inclusions seems to be the ever increasing trend How does Gelatissimo adapt? Create products that people want. Our innovation tank over the past couple of years has been well received by both customers and franchisees alike.
QSR Media: What are the challenges you are currently facing in the industry?
Filipe Barbosa: The retail food sector as a whole is under pressure with increasing retail rents. Being flexible in your site selection and store design to suit various size footprints is important.
QSR Media: Opportunities?
Filipe Barbosa: To widen our geographical offer and reach the customers in main regional centres.
