Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregg & Marni Bollella.
Hi Gregg & Marni, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Gregg grew up in New York and has fond memories of spending time at his grandparents’ deli in the Bronx. His grandparents and father immigrated to New York City from southern Italy. Food was always central to family gatherings and celebrations. Gregg decided to relocate to the Kansas City area for a job, and later met his wife, Marni. After he retired from a public safety career in 2023, Marni suggested they open a food truck to share their love of Italian food (especially gelato) in the form of a family-run business. They named their business Andiamo Gelato, a nod to Gregg’s father who would often use the phrase (meaning “let’s go” in Italian) to encourage, remind and ultimately keep life moving.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We decided to buy a used truck that was once used for laundry service and then designed a custom kitchen based on our specific business. It required a lot of modification and repairs upon arrival, delaying our business opening by more than six months. For example, we purchased a refrigerator that would not fit in the truck (and couldn’t be returned) after the kitchen was completed with the ceiling lower than what we planned. The truck also needed a new engine, transmission, and other repairs.
After a few months in business, we realized we needed to narrow our menu, and it was OK to just focus on our core foods. It’s hard to be everything for everybody – for us a focused menu of quality items was important.
We have found the advice given to us by other local food truckers enormously helpful as we launched our business. Working with local businesses, especially breweries, has been key in establishing a following. This partnership has been integral to our success and we’re grateful for all of the interest and support of small businesses in the Kansas City area.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Andiamo Gelato & Italian Market?
We sell hand-stuffed cannoli, traditional Italian gelato, sorbetto, tiramisu, specialty griddled panini including a chicken and pesto (the Italian Cluck), Italian cold cuts and cheeses (the Dapper Don), and our signature shaved marinated beef, cheese and pepperoncini (the Yo Adrian), plus from-scratch marinara sauce and meatball sliders. Our food is casual, fun, and inspired by the flavors that we love, proudly representing the Bollella family’s Italian-American heritage.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We’re now catering private events in addition to our public pop-ups. We’ve seen a notable increase in couples looking for gelato as an alternative to traditional wedding cake and have already booked weddings for the 2026 season.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andiamogelatokc.com
- Instagram: https://facebook.com/andiamogelatokc/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/andiamogelatokc
