Guido Tremolini and Simona Faroni, a young, stubborn, and determined couple came all the way from Italy to the beautiful Florida Emerald Coast, in the beginning of 1995.

Guido and Simona had a dream and a goal - to bring authentic Italian Gelato to America. But didn’t Americans have ice cream already?! Yes, but Guido and Simona would explain:

"Didn’t Americans have coffee before? Of course!  And now because of many European influences, Americans now enjoy espresso, cappuccino, latte and so on! The same principles apply to Gelato and Sorbet. Trends, people, tastes and markets evolve...the whole world is always in evolution…"

"Gelato is the evolution of the ice cream world."

They chose the Fort Walton Beach/Destin area as the base of their American venture and moved from Italy in February 1996.
They soon realized that their dream was quite different from their reality. The language barrier was just one of the many hurdles they would encounter. Moreover, the culture, laws and regulations were far different than they had envisioned.

Where to go from here? Their dream was beginning to be overshadowed by the immense (and growing) task that lay ahead.

First, in order to produce authentic Italian Gelato and Sorbet, they needed authentic Italian equipment. So, they imported the necessary machinery from Italy and installed it in their new facility. However, during the final inspection, the Department of Agriculture declined the approval of the equipment - the equipment did not meet code. What code? There wasn’t even a code for such a category with the Department of Agriculture!

Now what? Get rid of the equipment? No. This was not an option for Guido and Simona. They needed authentic equipment to produce authentic Gelato and Sorbet. With such a time honored tradition, there must be a way to get approval. They were discouraged by everyone, did not know what to do, where to go or with whom to speak and more importantly, how to speak! Did they give up? Absolutely not! They were brought up to live by three important Italian proverbs…

1. Where there is a will there is a way.
2. When the water comes to the throat, you better start swimming.
3. Never give up your dreams.

So…they speed-learned English and found some fantastic people that were willing to share their knowledge and help out. Those were very difficult times. Their dream seemed like it was attached by a very fine thread.

After 14 long months, their precious equipment was approved, not only by the Department of Agriculture, but from the Food and Drug Administration as well! What an ordeal! They understood now why so many people with the same goal failed and returned to Italy.

If asked if they would you do it again? “Without thinking twice! It was worth it. We believe that all the valuable things in life are not achieved without big efforts...”

Guido and Simona achieved their goal of manufacturing authentic artisan Gelato and Sorbet in America. Today they operate a state of the art facility, are distributing their products throughout the country and franchising several San Gelato Café retail locations. These cafés celebrate the cuisine and culture found in typical Italian Gelaterias.

During their journey they’ve acquired extensive experience and skills within the manufacturing and restaurant industries. Funny how the tables have turned! Nowadays, they are often sought out for their knowledge and advice. It would be fair to say they are a true success story!

And someone once said a Dream is just a Dream!