The European Union invests more and more in the Autonomous Territorial Unit (ATU) of Gagauzia. For this reason, some decided not to go abroad, but to stay at home and start a business.
Veaceslav Dudus is a young entrepreneur from Comrat, ATU Gagauzia who started a „delicious” business, and the success was not long in coming.
From an idea to a profitable business
Ever since college, Veaceslav liked the idea of opening a cafe or a restaurant, but the possibility of managing his own business was just a dream back then.
„My favorite project is Eva Gelato. I named the ice cream Eva in honor of my daughter, as I am so considerate about everything related to her,” confesses Veaceslav.
Eva Gelato is a new ice cream brand, it appeared in 2021 on the local market and is the only company in the country that produces artisanal goat milk ice cream according to Italian recipes.
„We went with a large team to Italy, where we learned how to make artisanal ice cream,” says the entrepreneur. „What the team produces is not just some dessert, but an emotion, available in over 20 flavors.”
Well-developed branding with EU and EBRD support
To develop his business, Veaceslav benefited from EBRD advisory services with EU financial support. This support allowed him to build the visual identity of Eva Gelato project, namely the company brandbook, the video content for social media and the web design for online orders.
„This investment accelerated our appearance on the market in Chisinau, initially being present only in Comrat. After having established our visual identity, we started participating in various events and festivals. Later we developed the catering part with the gelato bar service and started the collaboration with the HoReCa segment,” emphasizes the young entrepreneur.
In the future, Veaceslav plans to strengthen his business and become the leader of the ice-cream market in Moldova.
„The biggest reward for us is the appreciation of our customers. More than that, we interact with them on social networks and collect feedback about their experience with our products and services,” says Veaceslav. „We want to become the No. 1 in the field of desserts in Moldova. To be a source of pleasure and happiness among our customers.”
In addition to the ice cream business, Veaceslav has three other projects in his portfolio: Augusto Pizzeria&Cafe, Unotoro, a fast-food restaurant and Manayoki, a sushi bar. Today, his network of restaurants and cafes is present in the cities of Comrat, Cahul, Ceadir-Lunga and Chisinau.
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The EBRD Advice for Small Businesses (ASB) allows small and medium-sized enterprises to access a wide range of advisory services with the help of local consultants and international experts, providing methodological and financial support to selected consulting projects, including coaching. In Moldova, ASB has been operating since 2005. Until now, ASB has started over 740 projects with local consultants and international advisors with funding provided by the European Union through its EU4Business initiative and Sweden.
The support offered by ASB EBRD Moldova involves the co-financing of consulting projects in the fields of strategy, marketing, enterprise management, operations, technology, engineering solutions, quality management, financial management, energy efficiency and environment.
