Restaurant dishes out Italian gelato to the region
A restaurant owner and wholesale distributor of gelato is bringing a taste of Italy to the area.
Joe DiBartolo opened Divino at 821 E. Center St. in Grayslake late last month. In addition to operating a restaurant, DiBartolo is running a wholesale operation where he delivers gelato, an Italian word for ice cream, to upscale eating establishments, resorts, convention centers, catering companies and hospitals throughout the area.
"We deliver within a four-hour radius, up toward Milwaukee and down toward Central Illinois," DiBartolo said.
"We have to be licensed through the state to deliver dairy products," he added.
Gelato, originally created in northern Italy, is known by its smooth texture, rich and exquisite taste. It is naturally low in fat. DiBartolo makes about 24 flavors a day.
"All the flavors are imported from southern Italy," DiBartolo said. Hazelnut is the most popular of the flavors.
"It's like a wine tasting with the array of flavors in the display case," he said. He added that the gelato resembles clouds in the display case.
The Italian ice cream is made from milk and sugar and a combination of other flavorings. It was once served to the upper class in Italy.
All of the equipment and display cases at the new business are also imported from Italy, the country in which DiBartolo's grandparents were born.
The new shop in Grayslake also serves gourmet pizza, paninis and salads. DiBartolo's brother, Jim, handles this part of the operation with his 20 years of experience in the industry.
The upscale eatery, which seats about 24 people, is designed "to give customers a taste of Italy when they come in the door," DiBartolo said. The gelato, served in cups or small bowls, ranges in price from $3.25 to $5.25.
The entrepreneur, also an electric engineer, has been investigating the ice cream business opportunity for the past few years as he has seen gelato grow in popularity.
"Gelato is exploding in the United States. I'm just trying to capture the market share. The growth of the industry is big," he said.
To learn the details of the business as well as learn to become a wholesaler, DiBartolo trained with a company in Maryland, Aromi d'Italia, a similar operation.
DiBartolo, 47, also owns Joint Development Group, a semi-conductor business in Grayslake.
Raised in Park Ridge, he and his wife, Kris, are raising three children, Ally, 4, Mia, 7 and Joseph, 12.
The new eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call (847) 223-2500.