By Alexis Guerra and Nicholas Slater

Move over Ben & Jerry’s, you’ve got some competition on campus. A new gelato delivery service has hit campus, catering to any student’s sweet tooth.

[media-credit id=2117 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Gelato Q is an on-campus gelato business started by freshman entrepreneurship major Michele De Palo and sophomore marketing major Chris LoMonaco.

Gelato Q’s mission is simple: bring a quality dessert to its customers.

“I’m just a kid from Rome that wants to bring good gelato here,” De Palo said.

De Palo made his first delivery on Feb. 20, and now the company has filled over 100 orders. Gelato Q began as a two-man operation in the Irma residence hall building, that offered three flavors of gelato. Over 12 days of business and Gelato Q grew to a campus-wide delivery service, launched two more flavors and expanded its headquarters to Old Village.

Parents have begun placing orders for their student’s birthdays and fraternities have contacted them for larger orders. The company also hosts giveaways on their Instagram account for their customers.

The gelato itself is made in New Haven by Gelato Giuliana, a small manufacturing company run by an Italian gelato maker. With Giuliana, there are 48 flavors available, according to De Palo. Gelato Q plans to expand its flavors based on what the customers want through Instagram polls. Currently, De Palo and LoMonaco pick up the units from Giuliana in New Haven, but hope to have the gelato delivered as the size of their orders increase.

De Palo and LoMonaco began their collaboration two weeks ago in an entrepreneurship class where De Palo brought in gelato samples to materialize his idea. This plan to sell gelato has been in the making for two years, according to De Palo, who noticed a lack of gelato in America after he moved from Rome in 2015.

De Palo and LoMonaco have brought their roommates into the business as well. De Palo’s roommate, entrepreneurship major Vazul Hites, runs finances for Gelato Q, among other duties. LoMonaco’s roommate, sophomore J.D. D’Elia, does delivery for the business.

Gelato Q has two freezers (one in Irma and one in Old Village) where it keeps the units. The freezers are low-wattage and run like mini-fridges, according to LoMonaco.

Aside from the taste, Gelato Q is proud of how convenient the service is.

“You don’t have to change out of your pajamas to get some [gelato],” LoMonaco said.

Orders can be placed through Instagram direct message (@_gelato_q) any day of the week. Gelato Q currently offers five flavors: Roman vanilla, chocolate, blood orange, pistachio and espresso. Payments of $9 a pint can be made through Venmo or cash. Gelato Q also offers a $6 option if you preorder the gelato for Friday night.

As the business continues to prosper, De Palo and LoMonaco plan to not only expand the number and variety of flavors Gelato Q offers, but also expand the service to the York Hill campus.

[media-credit name=”Dev Soni” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Our views on Gelato Q

Nicholas Slater: The Roman Vanilla was very creamy and had a richer flavor compared to basic vanilla flavors. 5/5

Alexis Guerra: Roman Vanilla was not your average vanilla ice cream flavor. It was the perfect amount of sweet unlike other vanilla-flavored desserts. 5/5

NS: Wow, was pistacchio a nice surprise. The flavor was not overbearing, and the chunks of pistachio added a little crunch to the creamy texture. 5/5

AG: For not being a huge fan of pistacchio, I was impressed by how much I enjoyed it. The texture and taste of the pistachio wasn’t overpowering at all. 4/5

NS: Blood Orange stole my heart. The sorbet-esque texture was a nice change from the other the creamy flavors. The orange and raspberry blended well together and popped on the taste buds. 6/5

AG: Blood Orange wasn’t as creamy as the other flavors due to it being dairy-free. I thought it tasted refreshing. It’s a flavor I would order for warmer weather. 3.5/5

NS: Personally not a coffee guy, but Espresso had a nice robust flavor, not too powerful. (Robust is a coffee term, right?) 5/5

AG: The Espresso gelato was my favorite out of the four flavors that I tried. It tasted fresh and sweet despite the coffee aftertaste. 5/5