Looking for a place to cool down this summer with a sweet treat? We know just the spot. Get the scoop on Italian Ice Cream, with owner Andrew Vergalito.
- Where: Niagara Falls, Ontario
- What: Italian-inspired gelato shop and cafe
- Product: Moneris Go and API integration
Tell me about Italian Ice Cream
My parents, Joe and Anna, purchased the Niagara property for the shop in 1975 (which was originally part of an area with boarding houses and apartments). They decided to convert their building into a storefront – which is now Italian Ice Cream. We’ve been around since 1978, and we pride ourselves on making the best gelato at a good price. Today, we offer 24 different gelato flavours made in-house, a variety of coffees, sandwiches, and an assortment of pastries – some flown in straight from Italy. We also outsource to other businesses, restaurants, cafes, and banquet halls.
How did you come to own the shop?
There’s been a lot of twists and turns in my career before taking over the family business, from going to school for electronics to working in human resources. My father passed around that time, so I eventually took over. It was tough at first, but I took it upon myself to get better at running the business and, of course, making gelato. There’s a science to it – from choosing the right ingredients, the type of machine, and the right formulation. I’ve worked with some of Niagara’s great chefs, went to the University of Guelph for an ice cream course, and even travelled to Italy to gain hands-on training.
What was the biggest challenge facing your business?
As a small business owner, I’ve always been challenged by change, whether it’s the technology the shop uses, the state of the market or the hospitality industry, our staff, or the cost of ingredients and equipment. The pandemic also proved that there are many unknowns out of our control. So, setting myself up with tools and resources that can help my business succeed is incredibly important—which is where Moneris comes in.
Why Moneris?
We tested a few different payment providers over the years before officially switching to Moneris. They have made the entire process easy and seamless, which in turn allowed us to focus on our business and provide our customers with the best service, and gelato! With Moneris, we know exactly what we’re being charged for (with no surprise fees), we’re able to easily upgrade our products if needed, and they offer quality customer service in-person, over the phone, and online. Bottom line: Moneris understands the needs of small business owners like me, who already have so much to worry about in our day-to-day.
What Moneris product are you currently using?
We needed an easy, straightforward payment solution, and Moneris provided that to us from day one, even as our business evolved. They helped upgrade to our Moneris Go terminals at the height of the pandemic when we needed a way to take contactless payments, which was a great investment for our shop. The terminal interface is simple enough for our team and customers to navigate – which is critical for our business as we welcome tourists and locals alike. We also easily integrated Moneris’ API into our
ecommerce platform about three years ago so we could take orders and payments online, and we haven’t run into any major issues.
Overall thoughts?
I’ve been a Moneris customer for many years and have tried many of their payment solutions, so I have a well-rounded experience. Plain and simple: with Moneris, you’re getting an excellent product and excellent service at a competitive rate.
You can also hear from Andrew on the "Yes, We Are Open" podcast.
Article filed under:
merchant spotlightShare