Owning gelato shop is far from a fiasco

Matt WilsonLocation, location, location. Turns out that is not only the key to buying a home, but to starting a successful gelato business. So says Matt Wilson, MBA’01, who has now opened his third Fiasco Gelato storefront in three of the “coolest” areas of Calgary—Kensington, Stephen Avenue Mall, and 17th Avenue.

The entrepreneurial program that’s part of the MBA, and the city’s success, is what lured Wilson to relocate from Winnipeg five years ago. When eating out in any of the trendier areas of Calgary, Wilson often thought to himself that someone should open a gelato shop, saying it had been a perfect way to cap off the evening when he was back in Winnipeg. “I just kept noticing this void in the market, so I finally decided to open one myself.”

Wilson had owned a bar and restaurant in a vacation town that neighbours Winnipeg, so running a business wouldn’t be new to him.

“I love being my own boss,” says Wilson. “I just enjoy being able to create things, and also like the freedom to make quick decisions.”

Knowing the gelato business was another matter. Wilson returned to Winnipeg to do some research; he dropped in on a couple of his favourite gelato shops there to learn the specifics.

Wilson returned to Calgary with new-found knowledge in hand, some recipes to make one of the best summertime snacks there is, and a plan to open his first shop. It was such a hit that shops number two and three followed in quick succession.

The last year has been a whirlwind says Wilson. In peak season, he’s working 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. “As long as we’re growing, it’s going to be a lot of hours,” he admits easily. They’re hours he’s willing to put in. Immediate goals are to continue to build a strong brand in Calgary, then move into other cities—not only with new shops but with retail packaging as well. He’s also working on a franchise program, because the number of shops he can open personally are limited.

And who wouldn’t want to put in a few extra hours inside a gelato shop? The main perk of his business, Wilson says with a smile: “Well, I do a lot of sampling.”

 

By Leslie Strudwick