Locally-owned G.S. Gelato is not only a national business, but is a leading manufacturer of gelato, sorbetto and non-dairy frozen desserts for foodservice and private label retail. It recently announced an expansion of its Fort Walton Beach manufacturing complex, and will add 25,000 square feet, bringing the state-of-the-art facility to a total of 65,000 square feet.
“When we came here from Italy in 1996, we knew in our hearts that one day gelato would be the evolution of the ice cream industry,” said Simona Faroni, co-founder of G.S. Gelato, along with her husband Guido Tremolini.
“G” is Guido Tremolini and “S” is Simona Faroni. Twenty years ago, Tremolini was running a restaurant in Italy and his wife was selling Redken hair products there. There were hundreds of gelato shops in his home town, Tremolini said. On a trip to Florida to visit friends in the 1990s, the husband and wife noticed the lack of stores and restaurants selling gelato.
So, they moved to the United States. They spoke no English. It was as if they were re-born in another country, Faroni said.
“We began with just 1,000 square feet, and when business rapidly grew, we chose a new location with plenty of space to ensure room for future growth. The expansion will enable us to successfully meet the growing demand for our products and to better serve our customers around the nation. We are thrilled to commence the next chapter of G.S. Gelato.”
The new addition includes dry and frozen warehouse storage, significantly increasing production capacity and overall efficiency. Upon completion, G.S. Gelato expects to add nearly 30 staff members to support operations. Since its inception, the company has continuously reinvested in itself in order to remain on the cutting edge of innovation.
