Dubbed the Michelangelo of gelato by international megastar Cher, Gianpaolo Grazioli will never forget the first time the hit musician called him.
“I was pretty sure it was one of my friends playing a prank,” tells Gianpaolo, who also goes by Giapo, the name of his Auckland gelato shop.
“She said three or four times, ‘It’s me, Cher, the singer.’ Her voice is pretty unique – you can’t really confuse her with anyone – so eventually I realised it was the real deal. We talked and she said she loved our ice cream and wanted to bring it to America.”
That was in 2018. Five years later, thanks to Covid setbacks, it became a reality in 2023 with the launch of Cherlato, a food truck partnership between Cher and Giapo serving his gelato in Los Angeles.
Cher launched the release of her Christmas album from her Cherlato truck spot in Santa Monica.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn’t have dreamed of,” tells Giapo. “I’m so happy it happened. She loves us and the way she works is incredible.
“I would love to record one of our meetings because when she’s in that creative mode, you can really see she goes on another level. It’s beautiful to watch her start ranting about ideas, our flavours and things we can do.”
The project meant almost six months away from his wife and business partner Annarosa Petrucci, and their children Francesca, 13, and Pasquale, 12, when Giapo found himself stuck in America during the pandemic and border lockdowns.
Annarosa clearly recalls the challenges of being back home and missing Giapo, but she knew it would all be worth it.
“When we started Giapo, we had this dream written down everywhere, ‘Make NZ world-famous for ice cream’, and the fact such an iconic international superstar picked us to pursue her dream of ice cream, I am honestly still pinching myself,” shares Annarosa, 43.
“We are two little people with one tiny shop in Auckland. I still can’t believe we’re working with Cher. Giapo can show me the photos, but you would never imagine a person like that would want to start an ice-cream adventure with you.”
Internationally renowned now, ice-cream artisan Giapo, 45, has been delighting Kiwis and tourists alike with his Auckland gelateria for 17 years. Customers queue around the block to sample impressive culinary creations served in crazy cones and many have gone viral on social media.
Celebrating Giapo’s food science graduation in 2011.
But talking to the Weekly with his beloved wife, Giapo reveals he deserves little of the credit, insisting she is actually the real genius behind the business, their life and family.
“I’m more ethereal, an ideas guy,” he says. “When it comes to putting it together, I easily get lost. But when I talk, she knows how to execute it and that’s phenomenal, the best gift.
“Annarosa is extremely smart. I need her to make everything work because the family and Giapo, they’re both fine without me. They have my name, but 99 percent of it is her. That’s the reality – she does everything.”
Smiling at her husband of 17 years, Annarosa playfully disagrees, sharing just how much she also relies on him.
“Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed and panic, and he has his way to make things look easy,” she says. “He always supports me and reminds me I can do it. It’s so important because when you try to run a business, raise two children and a household, it can become too much. He gives me strength.”
The pair met 27 years ago as teenagers at the same school in Torre del Greco in their native Italy, but laughing as they recall memories, they reveal it wasn’t love at first sight.
“Giapo had to work very hard to get me,” tells Annarosa, who has been by her high-school sweetheart’s side since. “I wasn’t 100 percent convinced at the beginning, but he persuaded me.”
Giapo recounts his first impression of Annarosa. “You were beautiful and I liked you exactly as you were – and are.”
As to how they ended up in Aotearoa, it was a surprise to both of them after Giapo came for a holiday in 2003 and decided to stay.
“I had no idea I was going to like it so much. I called Annarosa and told her, ‘We need to live here.'”
Annarosa was open to the idea, but their families were not so easily convinced.
“My father said to me, ‘Where do you see your life – with him or here with us?’ At that moment, I knew it didn’t matter where we were – if it was the moon or anywhere, it was important for us to be together.”
After marrying in Italy, the pair moved to Aotearoa to start their life as husband and wife in a small rental in Auckland’s Mission Bay.
“It was beautiful, but it also came with challenges,” says Annarosa. “I didn’t speak English and those first few months were quite hard.
“When we opened Giapo, we were the disappointment of the family. Before that, I was teaching at Auckland University and Giapo was a general manager in a trading company. His mum and family always saw him working in a bank or office job, so they were very upset and didn’t think opening an ice-cream place was good for us.”
There was plenty of trial and error in the early days of the business, with the duo initially opening a traditional Italian bakery on Auckland’s Queen Street in 2008.
Where it all began at his and Annarosa’s first Queen Street shop in
2008.
Having struggled to find their place in the market, they changed tack to make ice cream, which proved more popular. Inspired by their Italian roots, they combined Giapo’s background in economics and his new food science studies with Annarosa’s natural people and business skills, and the first iteration of Giapo was born.
“I never thought of myself making ice cream, especially because it’s not in the family,” reflects Annarosa, who was previously a pharmacist. “But we do come from families with long traditions of cooking with grandparents and I remember being in the kitchen learning from them since I was very little. Then when we got together, we were very young. We would play cards and the prize was buying ice cream for the other one.”
It’s been almost two decades since they first set the dream in motion and while it’s still challenging, the pair have learned to overcome the uncertainty and nerves involved in taking risks and trying new things.
“We reassure each other every day,” says Giapo.
They’ve had to in order to function and balance the busy demands of the business with family life.
Of their enduring business, relationship and marriage, Annarosa reflects, “I don’t think there is a secret as such. For us, it’s really being committed to each other before we are committed to anything else.
“We have people asking, ‘How can you live and work together?’, but I don’t see the problem. We’re committed to each other, our children and our business.
“Sometimes we have misunderstandings or disagree, but as long as we work it out together, it’s okay. There are times I say, ‘You are right, let’s go your way’ and times he does the same for me.”
Giapo jokes, “Forgiving and commitment are important. I have been forgiven a lot!”
These days, Giapo is jetting back and forth to America regularly, but when they’re all in the same country, dinner around the table together every night is non-negotiable.
The couple with their kids Francesca (left) and Pasquale.
Annarosa says it’s a chance to reconnect and share after their busy days, and they also love to end the week with Sunday morning sports and games in the backyard.
“We had this dream to change ice cream,” says Annarosa. “When we started, we didn’t know how we’d do it. We’ve found our way and we are proud of Giapo, but the most important thing is our kids. We keep reminding each other how lucky and grateful we are to have them.”
As to what the future holds, summer is the busiest time of year for them, so they try to sneak away to Waihi with friends when possible, but both firmly believe in taking life day by day.
“If you think too far, it can be scary,” admits Annarosa. “We don’t look behind or ahead – we just live in the moment.”
Giapo adds, “The past three or four years have been quite dramatic for a business like ours. We look to the future with optimism, and while we have dreams, ideas and plans, we try to focus on the present because every day is a blessing.”
