But next time you hear it, don’t be surprised if you look out your window and see the Zao Non Dairy Gelato Truck.
That’s right, Dracut has a new business on wheels, and its owner, Ariana Ruckle, is carrying gelato that is plant-based with no dairy included.
And she could be coming to your neighborhood soon.
Ariana, a resident of First Street with her husband, David, owned a cleaning service, but after 10 years, she sold the business to the women who worked for her.
“I was wondering what’s next, and my husband had an idea: ‘What about an ice-cream truck?’” Ariana said.
She was interested in the idea, but she is lactose-intolerant and her husband is vegan.
“More and more people want more allergen-free foods,” Ariana said.
So they decided a gelato truck might be more appropriate.
She and David started trying different gelatos and happened upon Florida-based G.S. Gelato.
“They brought the concept of gelato to America,” Ariana said. “We tried it, and it was very good. They have nice flavors.”
The couple bought a truck, and Zao Non Dairy Gelato officially had its first event on June 7 at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, where David has a studio. She plans to be on hand selling gelato at Western Avenue’s Open Studios event the first Saturday of every month.
Ariana is also available for private events, and when she’s not booked, she plans to hit the neighborhoods of Dracut and offer her non-dairy version of an ice cream truck. The name Zao, by the way, translates to “true life.”
“I’m excited to connect with people again,” Ariana said. “I wanted to do something different. God helped me to realize that it’s not a bad thing to want to do something different.”
As for flavors, Zao Gelato will carry, in addition to old favorites chocolate and vanilla, such treats as Indonesian vanilla bean, mango sorbetto, Himalayan salted caramel, limoncello sorbetto, strawberry sorbetto, pistachio, coconut sorbetto and passion fruit sorbetto.
For more information on Zao Non Dairy Gelato Truck, call 781-568-0443, email contact@zaogelato.com, or visit www.zaogelato.com.
CAPTIONS:
1. Ariana and David Ruckle with their Zao Non Dairy Gelato Truck (COURTESY ZAO NON DAIRY GELATO TRUCK)
2. Try the gelato in a cone. (COURTESY ZAO NON DAIRY GELATO TRUCK)