How Spagato turned equipment challenges into sweet success

The gelato, which looks like spaghetti, has garnered a lot of social media attention.

Michael Benedict's 2014 visit to Oktoberfest in Germany, where he tasted a gelato dessert resembling spaghetti, inspired him to found Spagato this year in Florida. Thedessert concept will add five locations by year's end, but bringing this vision to life involved a series of challenges, creative problem-solving and unconventional solutions that others might find valuable on their own journeys.

"I always wanted to bring the Spaghetti EIS experience to the USA after experiencing it in Germany years ago," Benedict said. "Not only is it visually stunning to watch the dessert being made, but it's also a delicious treat that I felt my kids would love. It has been on my mind for years and finally decided I needed to stop thinking about it and do it."

Equipment issues

One of the first hurdles the brand faced was sourcing the right equipment — essential to achieving the dessert's distinctive presentation is a Spaghetti EIS machine. There are a lot of options in the US, but they are not commercially viable, nor can they press the gelato through the press at an acceptable rate to hold the form. This non-traditional approach posed another challenge: creating the right consistency and texture with a pneumatic air pressure device. Benedict and his team had to collaborate with custom engineers to develop a device that would precisely control the air pressure without the need for electrical components, preserving the authenticity of the process while adhering to regulatory standards.

To add to the complexity, these companies did not speak English, making communication a challenge. Turning to technology, Benedict and team used ChatGPT to bridge the language barrier, translating detailed messages back and forth, enabling him to convey the technical specifications and nuances of his vision accurately. This unconventional solution proved to be instrumental in moving the project forward, showing that sometimes the simplest tools can have an outsized impact.

"We reached out to the manufacturers in Germany that specialized in this equipment, unfortunately responses always came back in German," Benedict said. "We decided to try using Chat GPT to translate the conversations and were able to not only 'speak' with the representative, but we could also place orders successfully. It was a game changer."

This unexpected detour underscored the importance of adaptability and problem-solving, especially for brands looking to introduce something that veers from the norm. The takeaway? A willingness to experiment and adapt solutions to specific needs can lead to truly innovative outcomes, even if it means working with custom-built components.

How it works

Once operational, the Spagato dessert experience quickly became an eye-catching part of the brand. The process of crafting each dessert has turned into a spectacle for customers who watch as whipped cream is placed at the bottom of a cup with the gelato carefully layered on top. As the gelato chills the cream, it hardens into a hidden treat — a small surprise waiting at the end, reminiscent of the final bite of a Drumstick ice cream cone. This added layer of discovery has become an experience in itself, encouraging customers to savor the dessert to its final bite. By focusing on creating a memorable experience as much as the product itself, Spagato has managed to capture the attention of customers who appreciate novelty and a touch of nostalgia, Benedict said.

Spagato's TikTok videos allow ice cream enthusiasts to watch the process with some videos receiving over 700,000 views.