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F&B news
Impressario in JV with Italian major to introduce gelato
Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai
 Impressario,
the parent company of Mocha - Coffees & Conversations, with popular hang-outs
in Delhi and Mumbai, is poised to locally produce gelato, the Italian parallel
of ice cream in a joint venture with an Italian major and retail it under the
brand name Amichi. An indigenous Italian sweet dish, gelato dominates the Italian
market and is touted as a more natural alternative for ice cream. Impressario
is targetting eight wholly owned outlets in the immediate future.
Says Riyaaz Amlani, CEO and MD, Impressario Entertainment
& Hospitality Pvt Ltd, "Desserts are limited to a certain time of the
day although we have seen customers order for desserts even before lunch time."
Gelato is made from water and milk and soy milk, combined with flavourings,
and sweeteners. Unlike ice cream, gelato machinery whips almost no air into
the gelato, resulting in a dense and extremely flavourful product. "The
differences are subtle. It is not as dense and icy, but more creamier, mousse-like
and lighter. The taste may be met with mixed reviews initially because it is
based on the actual essence which is not around that much these days. We will
introduce gelato to the Saltwater Grill menu at Mocha as we want to consciously
keep them parallel," says Amlani.
Plans are on to set up a manufacturing facility and the machinery will be imported
from Rome. More flagship outlets are planned with limited covers with an area
of about 600 square feet.
Commenting on the pricing, Amlani says, "I look at it from a value perspective.
The pricing will have to be value-driven and the premium in the pricing will
be proportionate to the value of the inputs used to create the product."
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