Making ice cream is in the Pollazzon family’s blood, just like the warm hospitality with which they welcome and serve their guests. The family comes from the famous ice cream-making valley of Val Zoldana in the Dolomites, a region renowned for its long tradition of artisan gelato. In February 1979, Giuseppe „Pino“ Pollazzon left his hometown to fulfill his dream of opening his own ice cream café. On March 14, 1979, he opened Café Pito in Avenwedde. Before that, the young gelato maker had spent eight summers gaining experience at his uncle’s ice cream café in Bielefeld and decided to build his future in East Westphalia. At the time, a scoop of ice cream cost just 20 pfennigs. He started his business with 5,000 German marks of his own savings and a bank loan guaranteed by his uncle. In the early days, Café Pito offered classic flavors such as vanilla, stracciatella, strawberry, chocolate, lemon, and hazelnut. „I started with a Boku ice cream machine, where the gelato still had to be scooped out with a spatula,“ recalls the founder.