When the Bejarano family immigrated to the United States from Bolivia in 2018, the prospect of opening a business seemed daunting, Andino Artisan Gelato owner Carola Bejarano said.

Today, Bejarano owns and operates her own gelato business alongside her husband, Carlos Bejarano, and their sons.

“As you can imagine, opening a new business for the first time in a different country with a different language—it takes a lot,” she said. “Being with family was the most important thing for us.”

Four years after opening Andino’s first location at Barton Creek Square, the Bejarano family takes pride in their growth and offering their customers fresh, quality gelato. Andino Artisan Gelato now has locations in Barton Creek Square, Sunset Valley and the Bouldin Creek neighborhood.

A family affair

Carola Bejarano said the family gelato business began with her mom over 50 years ago in Bolivia. The business opened over 25 gelato shops.

When Carola Bejarano’s relatives began opening other businesses such as bakeries and restaurants, she wanted to carry on the gelato business.In 2020, the Bejarano family took an online course from Carpigiani Gelato University, a school in Italy created by the gelato machine company Carpigiani. Carola Bejarano said it was to build upon their family gelato recipe for a new clientele.

“We have a big emphasis on the cultural mixing pot of what is Austin...” said Esteban Bejarano, Carola Bejarano’s son and Andino’s acting chief financial officer. “That's why we incorporate flavors from Argentina, traditional American flavors as well as your traditional gelatos from Italy.”

On the menu

Carola Bejarano said Andino Artisan Gelato offers 32 flavors of gelato, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free options. The gelato is made fresh using real fruits and ingredients.“We are committed to using a lot of natural products,” she said. “If we say this is a strawberry orange, it has orange and it has strawberry. If we say it's watermelon, you can be sure that the color and the flavor is from the fruit.”

The menu features sweet flavors like Belgian chocolate, Mexican vanilla, Argentinian dulce de leche and fruity flavors like coconut, hibiscus and lemoncelo.

The impact

Carola Bejarano said going forward, they are looking for more ways to get involved in the community.

She said it has been a blessing to grow Andino with her family and hopes their love for their craft is expressed to customers.

• 5400 Brodie Lane, Ste. 235, Austin; 2901 S. Capital of Texas Highway, Austin; 2214 S. First St., Austin
• www.andinogelato.com