MANILA, Philippines – They say that in choosing a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life, a path that Kara of Cebu’s Luca Gelateria is happy to have taken on.
The idea of setting up a gelato business started from Kara’s love for the sweet, creamy, Italian dessert. Not to be confused with ice cream, gelato is lower in fat compared to other ice creams, it has a denser consistency, and a fuller taste.
Different from ice cream
A very popular dessert in Italy, Kara would be able to consume, at the least, three scoops of gelato per day whenever she would visit Europe. Eventually, the process of how her favorite dessert is being made and what ingredients are used for it started to intrigue her. “With this fascination came about my eagerness to know more about it. I went from gelateria to gelateria, to talk to owners – just asking questions and stories about their shop and their gelato. Then I went on to study gelato making in the Carpigiani Gelato University in Italy. This was when I realized that gelato isn’t just all about the flavour, it’s also about the composition, the balancing, and most importantly, the texture. From that experience, I knew I wanted to bring good quality Italian gelato to my hometown and at the same time, to help small local businesses as my suppliers. ” she shares.
Seriously hand on
From there, Kara started developing her products, ensuring that it gives customers something delightfully different compared to competitors. “We produce fresh gelato in small batches with only the best, natural ingredients. What sets us apart would be the texture of our gelato. It’s very different from the traditional ice cream we have in the market. We serve classic flavours that are very straight-to-the-point. The air content of our gelato is also very minimal – thus giving you more flavour and a smoother gelato. We are proud to say that customers really do get their money’s worth!”
Doesn’t matter if you are a gelato lover like Kara or it’s your first time to try this creamy dessert, she assures that anyone who wants to enjoy a delicious dessert would really enjoy Luca’s gelato. “Families who love to eat at home or who love to invite guests and share dessert after a meal are our target customers, as well as people who love to watch movies and binge watch at home while digging in a pint of gelato or two. Kids, ice cream and gelato lovers, basically everyone wants to enjoy a pint of happiness!” says Kara.
Quality assured
Affordable without compromising quality, Kara says that Luca’s price points are set based on the quality they produce. “Our ingredients are topnotch and the machine that we use to produce the gelato is also one of the best. We need to note that ice cream is different from gelato. Air content is a very important factor because your ice cream may look a lot when it’s frozen but once melted side by side with the gelato, the real content of the gelato is more, so you can only imagine the extra flavour it gives. Our price is affordable and we want to offer the convenience of providing good quality gelato straight to your home.”
As for the ingredients, Kara is also not one to be stingy with quality, “We source our milk and fruits directly from the farmers – we love this idea because we’re also helping smaller enterprises, in our little ways. Most of our suppliers, if possible, are startups. We love to pay it forward and help other start-up businesses as well because we know how challenging it can be to start a business. One of our advocacies that really resonates to our consumers is that we support local farms and producers.”
Intrigued yet? Treat yourself and your loved ones to this proudly locally made dessert. Order Luca products online at @LucaGelateria on Instagram or you may message them directly at +639562678000, they offer pick-up points in Makati-BGC area and deliveries via Grab and Lalamove.
ADVT