Righteous Gelato

Its name belies its success. Fiasco Gelato has gone from a one-man show to a 24-person gelato production company in five years and the growth spurt continues. A certified gelatiere or gelato producer who studied at Carpigiani Gelato University in Italy, owner James Boettcher doesn’t have a drop of Italian blood in him. But he is supremely passionate about gelato.

Boettcher says the Fiasco name is quite fitting, having survived a few disasters since he took over the dying company from his former boss in 2009. “We’ve had a fire,” he says. “We’ve been out of business twice.” Fiasco was originally a retail operation that had gone from four cafés to one when Boettcher took over. Six months later, he closed the remaining shop, revamped the business model and began to rebuild as a maker and supplier of Italian-style desserts. Since then, he’s moved three times into larger spaces, the latest being a warehouse in southeast Calgary, and will be moving again thanks to the growing demand for his smooth, hand-crafted, uniquely flavoured gelato and dairy-free sorbetto. “Now we’re building something pretty amazing,” says Boettcher.