This Is Us

We started as a babysitting service. Seriously. There are 9 kids in the Grippo family, so what to do with them all? Put them to work at a gelateria!

Dolce Amore opened in 2002 on the corner of Commercial Drive & Graveley Street, in East Vancouver. With training straight from Italy, we opened our doors to much fanfare, as we were one of the first gelaterias in Vancouver.

Customers lined the streets to sink their gums in our gelato, and all 9 of the Grippo kids took their turns over the years serving up some scoops (Mamma too, but we kept her in the back because her scoops were too big). “You’ve got a whole mafia back there,” people used to say (hint hint, we’re foreshadowing).

commercial drive ice cream

The Beginning…

the gelato mafia

…The New Dons…

Daughter Daniela, and husband Giancarlo, started the next chapter in 2017, and Dolce Amore, AKA: The Gelato Mafia, was born. Embracing this stereotype that we experienced growing up, it was our way of adding our tongue and cheek personalities to the brand.

The reinvention was simple: Naturally Made, Criminally Good. Natural, clean, organic and local ingredients, turned into sinfully delicious creations. True, artisanal, Italian gelato, but with more whimsical and fun flavours.

We studied at the Carpigiani Gelato University outside of Bologna, Italy, because we wanted to immerse ourselves in the artistry of Italian gelato-making, to deliver the most authentic product possible. And in May of 2017, we unleashed our new creations.

Dolce Amore is our first child, our second love (after each other), our self-expression, our playground, our way of putting smiles on people’s faces, and in turn on our own. We’ve celebrated birthdays here, took our wedding photos here during our impromptu Covid wedding, and have made memories to last a lifetime. We only hope that your experiences with us can be just as memorable. Benvenuti.

Gelato pan

…The Vision

  • All of our flavours are made with a minimum of 80% organic ingredients. It’s our way of showing you that we focus on quality, and that we care about what’s going into our gelato.

  • We were the first gelato or ice cream maker in BC to use organic grass-fed milk, and we are so darn proud of this. In dairy gelato, milk makes up almost 2/3 of the recipe, so if you start with the best milk, you’re likely to get the best gelato.

  • NOTHING artificial. No fake colourings, no mono- or di-glycerides, no emulsifiers. Clean labels, clean ingredients, desserts you can feel good about eating.

  • Every month we unveil 4-6 new flavours, showcasing seasonal ingredients, and highlighting the seasons. We never tire of whipping up something new for you to come and try.

  • Nothing makes us happier than working with local farmers and producers to showcase their dairy, fruits, herbs, etc. Click below to see some of our great local partners.