We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Steve Del Gardo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Steve, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

People often ask me, “What is your story?”, well, I crack a smile and tell them….it all started when I beat breast cancer in 2013. Read that again. Breast Cancer. Men can get breast cancer. When the doctor told me I had breast cancer, it wasn’t as shell shocking as what he told me after that. If I would have waited another month to see him, he would have told me to get my life in order. That statement chilled my soul. It made me realize that I needed to start LIVING, FIGHTING for what I want in LIFE.

After beating cancer, I decided to create a foundation to educate the World that men can get breast cancer and to know the risks involved. The foundation was called Protect The Pecs. I spoke at numerous conferences, health symposiums and college pre-med programs. I also wrote about 30 articles for the Breast Cancer News on all different topics related to Breast Cancer to Life in general. I did this for 5 years from 2013 to 2018.

Then my father came to me and stated that I should go after my dream now. My dream?! It was sleeping for 32 years. It was to own an italian restaurant or a coffee bar. After looking at several places for an espresso bar, it wasn’t want I really wanted so I took a step back and prayed on it. Then the dream started to unfold in front of me. CANNOLI. What if I create a place where people come to enjoy a good cannoli with friends and family but not just a Cannoli but different flavors of cannoli. So, in 2017, a full year before I found the location, I perfected the recipes, the process, the ingredients, choosing the right shell. marketing and choosing the right people to help build my vision.

In July of 2018, I took the final step. I found a location in Covington, Kentucky. Fast forward to 2023, I became The Cannoli Guy. Take a tour of this website, it is a snap shot of Del Gardo’s. To really experience it, come to the Cannoli Bar. Say hi! Stay awhile! Get a Cannoli, laugh and enjoy the night with family and friends! Life is too short not to enjoy a good Cannoli!

If you can dream it, you can build it! I am not done yet; I have more dreams for Del Gardo’s. The next adventure is the Cannoli to ship nationwide. Steve will be shipping Cannoli Cream in Pints to all 50 States through Cincy Favorites. Information will be uploaded to the Ordering Page by April of 2023. So, once again, I am looking for the next adventure which will be to add more amazing items to the menu and to expand the brand of The Cannoli Guy!

Never Give Up! Keep climbing that hill! The wolf is always more hungry climbing the hill then being on top of the hill.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Since my childhood, I have always been in the kitchen with either my grandparents or parent’s learning how to cook. In our Italian culture, food brings family’s and friends together. As the years went by, I started in the restaurant industry in my teenage years as a Chef’s apprentice learning the ins and outs of the restaurant. At 18 years old I had a dream that one day, I’ll have my own restaurant. This happened 32 years later. I wanted to create a niche customer experience around a dessert that is not commonly eaten in my German centric city called Cincinnati. That dessert is the cannoli. But create a new tradition by providing craft cannoli with unique flavors.. And present each cannoli as a work of art.

I wanted to create a place where people can come after dinner to enjoy a good Italian dessert in an inviting atmosphere. And converse with each customer. I want the customers to enjoy life and leave with a smile

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started I thought I could do social media on my own which wasn’t a good idea. It is important to hire a social media’ manager that knows how to post, create reels, build content, and engagement. It is the best investment to build followers which in turn becomes customers. Social media is extremely effective tool when it is done correctly. And using influencers can help increase your visibility in the community.. By using social media (Digital Candy), I have increased business 25% each year and increased from a regional brand to a national brand.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Weddings. Every year, I attend a bridal show to showcase my Italian desserts which accounts for 90% of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.delgardos.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/delgardoscannoli
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/delgardoscannoli

Image Credits
Steve Del Gardo