Young entrepreneurs open Monte Giove outpost in Groningen

Opening a new shop in the city center during the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak takes a certain kind of  exuberance. Brothers Maurice (19) and Marco (24) Joudieh seem to have this exuberance in spades: having just opened their own ice cream parlor in the Folkingestraat in Groningen.

Monte Giove serves traditional Italian ice cream, cheesecakes, coffee; ‘Italian sandwiches’ and meter-long (wide?) pizzas, reports the GIC. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Maurice and Marco’s father runs the Monte Giove Italian restaurant in Norg, Drenthe.

The Joudieh brothers had had their eye on a premises on the Folkingestraat that, until recently, had contained a wrap and juice bar. “We’ve worked hard over the past three months,” explains Maurice, “there was also a lot to be done. And the Coronavirus outbreak also didn’t make it easy. But the result is impressive.”

In front of the shop is a large display case with a range of traditional Italian ice creams. “We make the fresh ice cream in our own ice cream factory in Norg,” explains Maurice. “We use the best ingredients. Of course we want to sell the best ice cream in Groningen.”

The IJsSalon Talamini, which sits on the Grote Markt, might have something to say in response to that: having been opened by Antonio Talamini in 1953. Talamini himself was even awarded the order of Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana in 1974.

Back in the present, though, Monte Giove also sells lunch. The range includes sandwiches and cakes, such as a ricotta-derived cheesecake. “And we’re going to make meter pizzas. You can eat it here or take it home. We are naturally aiming for the many students in the city, ”says Maurice.

Maurice and Marco have had a lot of catering experience since their childhood in their father’s restaurant in Norg. They can’t wait to stand on their own two feet now. “We learned a lot from our father, but of course I hope we don’t see him here too often. That means things are going well. But we are very happy with this great opportunity to do business yourself,” says Maurice.

Image: the ice-cream cabinet at Gelateria Dei Neri in Florence, Italy. Via Flickr user Jay Sobel. License-free.