Grace Bell Peddles Gelato by Bike around Olympia

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By Tali Haller

heritage bankGelato, fun people, a day out and about around town, and sun – how could that get any better, right? Well, maybe getting paid to be there. Welcome to recent Olympia High School graduate Grace Bell’s summer job: riding a Gelato Bike around downtown Olympia for Adam Adrian, the owner of Ramblin Restaurant group which includes Mercato, i.talia, and Ramblin Jacks.

“It’s such a unique work experience and it gives me the opportunity to meet tons of interesting people all while enjoying the sunshine,” exclaimed Grace.

olympia ice cream
Grace Bell delivers gelato to smiling customers.

“This job kind of fell into my lap,” confessed Grace. Her mom, Carrie Bell, happens to be friends with Adam and was able to connect her with the job. After applying to a lot of different places, Grace eagerly jumped at the opportunity to do this instead. “It’s not a ton of hours so I usually babysit throughout the week to make extra money,” she explained. Plus, there are many perks and skills to be learned. “I now have a Food Handlers Permit, I’m getting practice interacting with customers and handling money, and this type of food service will round out my resume.”

Grace passes out 100 ice creams every Saturday and Sunday, calling it a day when they’re all sold out. In the beautiful summer weather, selling out hasn’t been a problem. She also attends special events, like Music in the Park on Wednesdays, Hempfest, Lakefair, and the upcoming Sand in the City. She began working at the end of June and plans to continue selling through August, at which time she will be heading off to the University of Washington. Although she’s hoping to be a lawyer one day, at the moment, Grace is enjoying her summer to the max.

olympia ice cream
Four flavors of gelato are scooped at Ramblin Jacks before being loaded onto the bike.

“I love coming across so many smiling faces,” she said, smiling herself. She’s also experienced some interesting occurrences, now making for funny stories. “I had this one lady come up to me and talk to me for half an hour. She asked me all about the flavors, what’s in the gelato, how much it is ($2), things like that. Then at the end, she said, ‘I’m actually on a cleanse right now, so all I can eat is water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Thanks though!’ and walked away,” Grace recalled.

The ice cream itself deserves a shout out. It’s scooped in Ramblin Jacks and then loaded onto the bike in pretty, pre-packaged cups ready to be devoured. Usually, Grace peddles four flavors. At the time I visited the gelato bike, my mouth was watering over the delectable flavor selection: chocolate, salted caramel, blackberry, toasted coconut, and mint chocolate chip.

Grace often gets asked for free ice cream, to which she responds, “I would if I could!” Occasionally, if her tips allow for it, she’ll pass out a free ice cream or two. “But, only if they look like they really need it!” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

The Gelato Bike has been around Olympia for quite some time. Adam, its owner, purchased it upon moving here to give high school students a fun job each summer and get free advertising. In fact, gelato bikes were once a part of his own youth. “I went to college at University of Oregon and I lived in this big house. There was a shed in the back that was always locked and one day we found an old bike in there like the one I currently own. We prettied it up and used it around town all summer. I remember it being super fun and even becoming kind of a ‘thing’ in Eugene,” Adam said.

olympia ice cream
You can find the gelato bike around town at many of the local outdoor events.

Interestingly enough, other teens seem to have hopped aboard the ice cream business as well.  Encompassing a perfect combination of entrepreneurial spirit, love, and Olympia spunk, young couple Emily Wakefield and Joe Jupiter opened up Scoops of Jupiter, an ice cream business they run out of an old jeep. Read more of their story: Scoops of Jupiter: Entrepreneurial Students Create a Summer Business.

Not surprisingly, Grace never imagined herself being an ice cream seller. “I always wanted to work for a coffee stand but then I realized you have to be inside. This is so much nicer because I’m outside in the fresh air, moving around, and oftentimes I wind up by the water,” she said. Aside from working – which sounds more like playing anyways – Grace spends a lot of time on the water. “I love to waterski, go tubing, and swim,” she said.

If you haven’t already, it’s time for you to get downtown and find the gelato bike!

 

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