As customers walk into his gelato shop, Simone Romano makes sure to greet every one of them.
For Romano, customer service is one of the cornerstones of business.
“I call people guests, I don’t like to call them ‘customer,'” Romano said. “As a guest, I’m going to share a big part of my life, my passion with you. I don’t do this just to make it.”
Romano said he finished college while still working at the gelato shop. After graduating, he was determined to pursue his dream.
“I worked at the best gelato shop in Rome for about eight years,” he said. “I learned to make gelato from the old work.”
Romano came to Baton Rouge three years ago, seeking a new experience and hoping to share his passion for gelato.
He began working for Latte e Miele, another local gelato shop on Highland Road, but he left about a year ago. Still wanting to share gelato with Baton Rouge, he made plans to open Bacio di Roma.
Romano said he enjoys owning a shop in Baton Rouge.
“The people here are so kind, so friendly,” he said. “I do miss home, and there are some large cultural differences, but I love the people it.”
So far, Romano said, the response to Bacio di Roma has been warm.
“Everybody loves it so far,” he said. “There’s no better explanation than when someone tastes something and says, ‘Oh, my God.’ That’s a great passion.”
 
____
Contact Joey Groner at [email protected]