Violeta Edelman is the Argentine behind Dolcezza, one of the most important ice-cream parlors in Washington DC. With six stores in the capital of the United States, this company that started producing ice cream in a basement sells today to 100 restaurants and 5,000 supermarkets across the country, including the giant Whole Foods store chain. In an exclusive dialogue with LPO, its founder talks about the challenges of settling in, the importance of generating community with local producers and how "Argentine-type" ice cream captivates American palates.
How did the idea of opening an ice cream parlor in the United States come about?
It was my husband's idea. I'd never have thought of making ice cream. I met him in Brazil. We traveled for three months and then we went to Buenos Aires. I remember that the first night I took him to Freddo in Barrancas de Belgrano, which was my neighborhood, he ate frozen dulce de leche and Swiss chocolate. He looked at me and said: "I've been to Europe a lot of times, I've been to Italy a lot of times, and I like this the most, the flavors, the combination". It was the first night in Buenos Aires, he had never been there, and he told me: "Let's open an ice cream parlor in the United States". I looked at him, I was 20, 21 years old and we were dating. It was a moment of opportunity, of openness, and I thought the idea was nice.
How long did it take you to realize the idea?
It took us about three or four years, it was not automatic. We called my mom and her husband, who helped us open the ice cream parlor. My mother's husband had a friend who produced ice cream machines and he told us that there was an Argentine ice cream parlor in Miami that had opened with his machines. Then we started. We had to introduce gelato, because a lot of people didn't know what it was. Even though we were here in such an international city.
What are the key differences between gelato and traditional ice cream?
There are three. One is the amount of fat. Gelato must have less than 10% fat, if it has more, it is not gelato. North American ice cream has between 15% and 20% fat. The second difference is the air: artificial air is injected into North American ice cream, while gelato is not, which makes it denser. And the third one is temperature. Gelato is served at a lower temperature so as not to shock the palate, it is served a little warmer, about 2 or 3 degrees warmer, so that you can enjoy the flavors.
Why did you decide to offer gelato instead of traditional ice cream?
In Argentina we eat gelato. Maybe we don't call it gelato, but ice cream in Argentina was developed by the Italians and it generally follows those rules. Maybe some people add a little more fat than other people, depending on the content of the cream or milk they use, but in general people make gelato. And we wanted to represent that: that I came from Argentina, our love story and the love for ice cream.
Are you also distinguished by using fruits from local producers as raw materials?
We started with the Farmers Market Movement, using local fruit to make ice cream only during season. That is not done in Argentina. We said: "We are only going to sell strawberries in May and they will be the ones from Virginia." At first it was a shock, but then people got used to it and it became something nice. Because you enjoy it much more, the fruits taste better. This is how I learned that there are 15 different kinds of apples. I didn't know that there were 10 types of plums and that, if it rains, the flavor changes. And there is nothing tastier than a strawberry that grows here.
Why was Washington DC a conducive ideal for your business?
Washington DC has an incredible farming community that has become part of our family. We have been buying from the same people for 20 years. Some already have grandchildren. We have developed very close relationships with them, and that has greatly enriched our business. We have become very involved in the community through farmers markets, where we sell our products. We have learned a lot from farmers, both in terms of flavors they suggest and combinations that inspire us. For example, in certain seasons, like winter, they suggest using sweet potato. Then ginger, or focusing on flavors like apple and pear in winter. This connection with the community and the local market is essntial for us and has allowed us to offer up to 150 different flavors.
How many flavors did you start with?
We started with 15. Dulce de leche has always been there, although availability varies greatly because it depends on our ability to get the one we like.
How has your business evolved since the beginning?
The business has been growing and adapting. At first, when we opened, I was still working at National Geographic as a journalist and my husband was working at a software company. It took us a lot to establish ourselves. It wasn't easy, even though we had a very good reception since we opened.
Why was it so difficult?
Because we didn't know the business, we didn't have a plan. The machines in Argentina broke down, we opened late, winter came very quickly and we did not have enough working capital. We had the typical problems of a small business with no experience. We had to row it a lot with the help of my mother and her husband. A thousand things happened to us until, after a year and a half, Rob managed to quit his job to be full time at the ice cream parlor. At the same time, I ended up doing the same and we started to grow.
Was there a moment when you said "this is going to work"?
Yes, when we got to have three or four ice cream parlors. In 2012 we opened this factory and I felt that we had managed to build a more solid business. However, the fear of the entrepreneur is always present. Then Covid came, and it always depends on the economy and political decisions. That's why we started selling in supermarkets, to diversify and have more stability. During the pandemic we had to close some stores. Buying products from local farmers helped us during Covid. The production chain was a horror during the pandemic and we did not have those problems. An Amish from Pennsylvania brought us milk, the kid had his 20 cows and continued producing. Farmers did the same, the local economy is much more robust than the system that supports the food industry.
Your husband is American. Did you have any cultural shocks in the business?
Robby and I are very different, but very compatible. He is very dreamy and has a more Latin mentality, he even lived in Brazil before meeting me. He is in charge of the design of the premises, the brand and the menus. I am more practical and I have always been a producer, I do 20 million things at the same time. He says that I am the glue that sticks everything together so that nothing falls apart. We complement each other very well and we have a lot of fun. We try not to take things too seriously, with fairly clear family priorities. Relationships are important for us, which is why we also highly value relationships with farmers.
Do you prefer to work with Latinos in your company?
We have a diverse team, with many Latinos. Our partner Dimash, for example, was the first employee we hired when we opened in Georgetown. He started making ice cream with us and now he is our controller. There are many stories like that. We are a small group of people who have been together for many years and have grown and prospered. We consider ourselves a big family.
Is the United States still a country of opportunity for immigrants?
Of course, this country is full of opportunities. We always wanted to return to Argentina. Always. We came to save and return home. Then we opened ice cream parlors and had 3 daughters, and I had to accept that I was not going to return. When I managed to accept that, I felt relieved. Economics had a lot to do with that. If it had been easier to do this in Argentina, perhaps we would be in Argentina now. I love Buenos Aires and I miss people there a lot. That's what I miss the most.
What are your future plans?
We want to grow. Our plan is to continue expanding in supermarkets and opening ice cream parlors. We are creating a business plan and seeing if we can continue growing.
Do you offer other products apart from ice cream?
Coffee and pastries. And that helps a lot with seasonality. Plus, we love coffee the same way we love ice cream. Many years ago we started doing the same thing as with ice cream, we started serving coffee paying close attention to those who produce it. Now we are serving the Unido coffee that roasts here. It is a company from Panama with which we share the location. We buy from them - they own the farms in Panama and bring the coffee. We share the spirit.
Is the United States' advantage linked to the number of people, markets and resources?
Yes. This is what happened to us with sales in supermarkets. Today we sell at Whole Foods across the country. Imagine you could end up selling in very massive chains. Even for us, who have a lot of supermarket accounts. Although that would be another business.
How has the food business atmosphere changed in Washington DC over the past 20 years?
In Washington the culinary community is very generous. People are very open, they are not competitive. It was small inside and it exploded. This is not the Washington where I opened my first store in 2004. The city developed and a lot of concepts and young guys came and opened great restaurants. It grew a lot and I hope it continues.
Translation: Bibiana Ruiz.
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