From the working-class neighborhood of Ferentari in Bucharest to the sun-soaked streets of Nice, George Balan's journey in the world of artisanal gelato is one of love, luck, and perseverance. After years of dedication, his business, Gelato D'Amore, became a beloved ice cream venue on the French Riviera. Today, after being forced to pause the business for a while, he's working towards reopening his shop in Nice and taking the brand global. 

George Balan's path to becoming the proud owner of Gelato D'Amore in Nice, France, has been shaped by love and luck, he says. Raised in Ferentari, "the most dystopian neighborhood of Bucharest," George learned early on the value of perseverance, family, and community. He credits much of his success to the unparalleled love and unwavering support of his parents and loved ones, as well as the fortune of meeting key life partners along the way.

After a successful career in various sectors, including stints with global brands like Mars and Volkswagen, George Balan took the plunge into entrepreneurship. In 2020, during a challenging time for the global economy, he opened Gelato D'Amore in Nice, investing EUR 150,000 to create an artisanal ice cream shop that would soon be celebrated for its quality and authenticity. For roughly four years, the shop offered traditional ice cream with flavors of pistachio and caramel or a special option named Green from Transylvania.

"The story of Gelato D'Amore is not based on a complicated philosophy and does not intend to be unique or grandiose. It started from a simple idea, unsophisticated beliefs, and a great love," George Balan told Romania-insider.com.

Unfortunately, like many small businesses, Gelato D'Amore faced significant challenges during the Covid pandemic, which echoed even in the summer of 2024 when George made the decision to close the shop for a while. Despite these setbacks, however, his passion and determination never wavered. 

Now, the Romanian entrepreneur is focused on reimagining his business and returning stronger than ever. He's been asking for support through an online crowdfunding campaign, urging his community to help him keep the story of Gelato D'Amore alive. "I count on you to help this beautiful story continue," he says in his fundraising message.

Looking ahead, George Balan also plans to franchise his business both locally and internationally. For example, Gelato D'Amore is set to expand in Nice but also arrive in the Romanian town of Rasnov, in the famous Transylvania region, in 2025. Dubai and Biarritz are also on the list. 

"Gelato is not a commodity, it is not a product, it is not a dessert. It is an excuse to live beautifully and let us always be seduced. It is a love story," the Romanian entrepreneur says.

Meet George Balan and discover his inspiration, entrepreneurial spirit and lessons, and the tasty story of Gelato D'Amore from the interview below.

• Please tell us a bit about your background and your journey from Romania to France.

I am George Balan, born 56 years ago, in the most generous month of the year - December, in Ferentari, the most dystopian neighborhood of Bucharest. I am a product of a working-class family, so I have solid, simple, unsophisticated values.

I knew from a young age that everything is possible in life because almost everything that surrounds us was made by man. However, success in life is determined by luck. Personally, I was lucky to have unparalleled parents, to have brothers and sisters who always showed me their love and admiration, and then to have an unfathomable professional career for a very shy young man with an unfavorable background.

The fundamental milestones of my career were the years I spent with Mars, in various jobs and in various European countries, and then those years when I ran a Volkswagen dealership | Prominent Audi, between the two periods I spent a formidable year with the Red Bull importer, a year in which I gained two friends and learned a lot.

After flirting with the idea of becoming a business consultant, plus trying various other projects, I decided to become an entrepreneur. I chose gelato because I like to eat it, and I also had the experience gained during the years I spent with Mars.

Initially, I started with Venchi, who remained until the end the partner with whom I started, and I continued from one point on with Gelato D'Amore, with the intention of developing a successful international business.

After a few good years, I managed to take my first international step and chose the French Riviera at the suggestion of my second wife.

• What inspired you to get into the gelato business, and how did you decide to open an ice cream shop in Nice? What was the opening date and the initial investment, and how did the business evolve?

As I said, success in life is determined by luck. I started this business at the suggestion of my first partner from the first business that also involved gelato and chocolate, two loves originating from both personal and professional life. 

Gelato D'Amore was born with the simple idea of making a successful national and international business. The first step was taken in February 2017 when I visited the south of France at the suggestion of my second wife. After three years of frequent visits, we chose Nice and managed to open in 2020, a year strongly affected by the ugly history of Covid. 

Somehow, we started in November, after an investment of at least EUR 150,000, and in the 4 years, we managed to be recognized as a benchmark in gelato manufacturing and services, the proof being the 5 stars generated by the thousands of reviews on the internet. 

The business is growing, but it has big fluctuations during this period when small businesses are put to the test, but my desire and will to succeed are intact. But I repeat that nothing would have been possible without the support of family, children, friends, business partners, the community, suppliers, and customers.

From my point of view, this is pure luck, because the good is narrowing more and more in this world that is changing dramatically and at an unimaginable speed and sometimes unbearable to manage.

• The name - Gelato D'Amore - how did you choose it? What is your business philosophy?

The name Gelato D'Amore was suggested to me by Dragos, a very dear friend whom I consider not only the godfather of this business but also one of my partners; I want to be able to repay him for this inspiration someday. 

So Gelato D'Amore is the name under which a family from Romania produces gelato - the fresh, tasty, classic, artisanal, traditional, and natural version of the ice cream. 

The story of Gelato D'Amore is not based on a complicated philosophy and does not intend to be unique or grandiose. It started from a simple idea, unsophisticated beliefs and a great love. 

The simple idea is to have a nice business. 

We believe you can work with a smile on your face, with good will and a good mood. We believe that beauty is a promise of happiness. Our great love is the love for gelato. 

Gelato is not a commodity, it is not a product, it is not a dessert. It is an excuse to live beautifully and let us always be seduced. It is a love story.

• What flavors or ingredients have been most popular at your shop, and are any inspired by Romanian flavors or family recipes?

The king of gelato is the pistachio because it is the only taste, from everything we eat or drink all over the world, that cannot be chemically replicated. The number one rule of this job is to make a flawless pistachio. Luck has made me respect everything that surrounds me; in this case, it's Italian traditions and the roots of this job, so our pistachio deserves an Oscar.

Caramel is a weakness of mine because it was inspired by my children, David and Ana; clearly, I manage to produce a sensational caramel.

Another inspiration dear to me came from a friend, who suggested a recipe that would bridge the Romanian and French traditions; the recipe that I called, also at her suggestion, Green from Transylvania, and which I did for the first time at the gelato course that I held for students from the prestigious Paul Augier hotel school in Nice.

• What role has customer feedback played in shaping Gelato D'Amore Nice, and do you have any memorable customer stories?

The customer has the main role, they're at the heart of the Gelato D'Amore company. Right from the beginning, I clearly showed that I believe in something deeper than customer satisfaction; I believe in devotion to the customer. I am grateful to each of them for their contribution to this beautiful story.

Oh yes! I can write a book of stories with clients. And I will do it at some point. It's hard to choose because there are thousands of stories, some of which we briefly reported on our Instagram page. It is simply overwhelming.

I was so lucky to witness these stories, from reactions to product tastings, reviews on the internet, acts of kindness, pure love, help, and humanity. All accompanied by plenty of charm and humor.

• This summer, you faced the difficult decision of closing the Gelato D'Amore shop in Nice. Could you walk us through what happened and why you had to shut down?

As I said, we are going through an unfavorable period for small businesses. There were already signs from 2022 that something changed radically after Covid. 

In 2023, despite the fact that we obtained the highest turnover, the course was extremely capricious, with fluctuations difficult to manage. The end of the year was the worst ever. And so was the beginning of this year. 

It wasn't until July 15 that sales picked up, but despite the fact that they were the best ever, they couldn't compensate for the losses from 2023 and the beginning of 2024, so the business was sluggish and lacked momentum. 

I decided to close and rethink the whole strategy for the future.

• You're currently looking to raise funds to reopen, mainly via an online fundraiser. What are your goals moving forward, and how can people support your mission to bring back the ice cream shop?

I came to the conclusion that I want to keep the store, but to continue, I need, as always, the support of customers, so I turned to the crowdfunding campaign, as we have done throughout our history. Customers can help by donating and sharing the campaign. As always, the response is fantastic, and I am grateful to them.

My plan is to keep the store and start international development. We have already communicated how customers can help and benefit from our Gelato D'Amore franchise program. 

Returning to the store, it is clear that the business has a future, but now I want to keep the store; what I have achieved in these difficult years is an authentic treasure.

• You've revealed potential plans to franchise the business - one target is the town of Rasnov in Romania. Please tell us more about this new direction. 

Gelato D'Amore Rasnov is one of the beautiful stories that happened at the store. Octavian, a young Romanian, intelligent and determined, fascinated by Gelato D'Amore, came up with this idea, and together with his parents, we will start on May 1, 2025.

I am impatient to see this project successfully completed because Rasnov is a special place, and the people involved in the project are people with quality energy who have the perfect profile for this project.

• What lessons have you learned throughout this journey that might help other aspiring entrepreneurs, including those thinking of opening a small business abroad? What has been the most rewarding part of this journey for you personally?

So far, the journey has been humorous and humbling, but that's the essence of entrepreneurship. I got this far because I was lucky not to have the courage to stop and because I was surrounded by the appreciation, encouragement, support, and love of children, family, clients, partners, suppliers, and the community.

If there is any wisdom to be passed on, it is that those who choose the path of entrepreneurship should not think about money but be careful to make it because they need it; plus, no one gives a damn about you if you don't have money, even if you can create wealth, so I strongly recommend them to make sure that the income is high, not that the expenses are low.

For me, the most miraculous thing was what I achieved in just four years and in some incredible conditions.

The best way to describe my achievements is a skit with a gentleman who, asked if he knows me, he answered: If I know George?! George is like the French flag, everyone knows him.

• Lastly, if you had a message for your supporters and community, in France or back in Romania, what would it be?

I am grateful to you, and I will reward each of you as best as possible, whether we know each other or not. 

Be good. 

Love each other a lot.

Travel.

Be honest.

Find your freedom.

The best gelato is the one you like. 

Make your life a great story, and then tell it to everyone. 

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photos: courtesy of George Balan)