Michele Nella is the owner of the successful Porta San Zeno ice cream parlour, a place which, in addition to offering ice cream, offers pastry and chocolate products in Lazise, on Lake Garda. There are many precautions that make the Porta San Zeno ice cream parlor a place to follow by example. From attention to customer communication to the variety of proposals on the menu. Discover the secrets of Michele and his Porta San Zeno ice cream shop.
Porta San Zeno offers everything. We are at a transit point, so we offer and serve whatever customers require. From coffee to fresh pastries to ice cream, we focus on the variety of the menu to satisfy the constant flow of people at any time and during any season.
Yes exactly. The restaurant is located in Lazise, on Lake Garda, and this area is rich in tourism so there is a lot of turnover and affluence. A strategically studied position is essential for a successful ice cream parlor and shop. If a thousand people pass by on a street and a hundred of these stop in your establishment, it is different from having the establishment in a convenient position where a hundred people circulate and only ten of these are your customers.
Let's say that in the summer we sell ice cream, granitas and fresh fruit, while in the winter we sell more suitable products such as chocolate and waffles. We also vary the menu according to the daily temperatures. In these seasons, for example, we still offer ice cream, but accompanied by warm berries. Despite this, we rely above all on customer requests to be satisfied regardless of the season. And in this Ice n Roll is a very useful piece of equipment because we can quickly prepare an ice cream at any time.
As mentioned before, the speed of making ice cream even when the machine is not always on. Plus the bases are easy to prepare. A few days ago, for example, they asked me for a lemon ice cream, but the taste was out. In a few minutes I was able to make a rolled lemon ice cream in front of the customer.
Counting on the fact that quality and professionalism must be the basis for a successful gelato shop, I would say care for communication, to make the customer understand what is being sold in a fraction of a second. Marketing, advertising and ways to communicate your offer to the public and give it more value. It's something we're working hard on to improve it. And then, still speaking of communication, a truly successful establishment speaks at least two languages. Barriers are eliminated and it allows us to fully explain to customers what and how we do it.
Like any entrepreneur, Michele also sets himself goals to achieve in order to raise the level of his restaurant more and more. Innovating, looking for new proposals to add to a menu that is suitable even in winter is one of the solutions for a successful ice cream shop. Discover the Rondò Unika proposal , ideal for expanding your business even in the cold seasons.
Successful ice cream shop, pastry shop and much more. Do you bet on something in particular in the offer?
Porta San Zeno offers everything. We are at a transit point, so we offer and serve whatever customers require. From coffee to fresh pastries to ice cream, we focus on the variety of the menu to satisfy the constant flow of people at any time and during any season.
Your geographic and city location therefore influences your varied menu.
Yes exactly. The restaurant is located in Lazise, on Lake Garda, and this area is rich in tourism so there is a lot of turnover and affluence. A strategically studied position is essential for a successful ice cream parlor and shop. If a thousand people pass by on a street and a hundred of these stop in your establishment, it is different from having the establishment in a convenient position where a hundred people circulate and only ten of these are your customers.
The varied menu follows the seasonal differences, how do you manage this aspect?
Let's say that in the summer we sell ice cream, granitas and fresh fruit, while in the winter we sell more suitable products such as chocolate and waffles. We also vary the menu according to the daily temperatures. In these seasons, for example, we still offer ice cream, but accompanied by warm berries. Despite this, we rely above all on customer requests to be satisfied regardless of the season. And in this Ice n Roll is a very useful piece of equipment because we can quickly prepare an ice cream at any time.
What is your favorite quality of Ice n Roll?
As mentioned before, the speed of making ice cream even when the machine is not always on. Plus the bases are easy to prepare. A few days ago, for example, they asked me for a lemon ice cream, but the taste was out. In a few minutes I was able to make a rolled lemon ice cream in front of the customer.
Given your experience, what does a restaurant need to be successful?
Counting on the fact that quality and professionalism must be the basis for a successful gelato shop, I would say care for communication, to make the customer understand what is being sold in a fraction of a second. Marketing, advertising and ways to communicate your offer to the public and give it more value. It's something we're working hard on to improve it. And then, still speaking of communication, a truly successful establishment speaks at least two languages. Barriers are eliminated and it allows us to fully explain to customers what and how we do it.
Like any entrepreneur, Michele also sets himself goals to achieve in order to raise the level of his restaurant more and more. Innovating, looking for new proposals to add to a menu that is suitable even in winter is one of the solutions for a successful ice cream shop. Discover the Rondò Unika proposal , ideal for expanding your business even in the cold seasons.