Where Does Bebe Zito Come From?
Gabriella conceptualized the brand. Bebe Zito's name is a play on a pet name from Gabriella's Brazilian cultural ties. The artwork pays homage to Ben and his superfluous amount of tattoos. Basically we realize it is fun to say PLUS the bebe is cute as hell!
Why Ice Cream?
Ben Spangler: I started making ice cream as a Bebe chef and started using professional equipment the moment I churned my way into the restaurant business. I was lucky to work with amazing chefs here in Minnesota (Amy Carter, Seth Daugherty & Paul Connors who all taught me so much. I came to the head-slapping realization that this was a possible career path when I met the creator of Cookies n' Creme, John Harrison, on the Food Network. He told me I make “perfect ice cream” while I was competing on “King of Cones.” I went on to develop the signature flavors of two local ice cream concepts (Milk Jam, Cookies & Creamery), with flavors such as Black (pictured), Cereal Killers, Thai Tea, and Valhrona Chocolate Swirl to name a few. Most recently, I decided to leave my professional chef career to pursue making what I love...with who I love!
