Our Story

Gianluigi Dellaccio was born in Naples, Italy in 1975. Originally a star water polo player, Gianluigi played for Naples as well as for Italy and became the Italian champion scoring the winning goal in 1993. In 1996, Gianluigi made a major career change deciding to pursue his other passion, pastry and the art of making gelato. Gianluigi packed his bags and made the move to Milan to study pastry culinary arts and gelato at the “CAPAC” (polytechnic of commerce), a top gelato and pastry school. After completing his studies Gianluigi moved to Bonn, Germany to work with Lazzarin, a famous gelato chain owned by his cousin. It was here that he was able to fully cultivate his secret recipe and skills. After his time in Germany, Gianluigi moved back to Napoli where he worked at Scaturchio, a famous pastry shop where the world-famous sfogliatella was created. 

All this experience led Gianluigi to take his passion and future to the United States. In 2000, Gianluigi packed his bags and took his pastry and gelato expertise stateside. Gianluigi has lived in Washington, DC for quite some time. Gianluigi’s experience includes time at the Ritz Carlton and six years as head pastry chef at Washington’s Premier Italian Fine Dining restaurant Laboratorio Del Galileo. Gianluigi has made pastry for Bono, President Clinton, Queen Rania of Jordan, and even the Pope. Gianluigi has experience in producing his desserts not only for restaurants, but also for large catered events, cooking classes, and various fundraisers.

In 2006, Gianluigi left Galileo to open his gelato factory, Dolci Gelati. Gianluigi distributes gelato to various restaurants, specialty supermarkets, catering companies, and food carts at venues like the Smithsonian National Zoo & The National Gallery of Art. Chef Gianluigi was given the official title of Global Gelato Ambassador by the Associazione Italiana Gelatieri during Sigep, an international exhibition dedicated to artisan gelato, confectionery, pastry and bakery production and coffee held in Rimini, Italy. Sigep is the largest international artisan gelato fair in the world. Ambassadors are master gelato makers who are not afraid to experiment, innovate and raise the bar. Chef Gianluigi has two kids, Valentina and Gianluca, and a Goldendoodle named Belle. He is married to Anastasia who helped to co-found company and now serves as a strategic advisor for the business in her free time.