Ice lolly, scoops, soft serve. Ice creams! We love them in any form, because nothing cools in a hot day as good as a serving of delicious ice cream. A family ice cream parlor “Dubrovnik” is a real paradise for ice cream lovers. In addition, the order can be made in almost every european language here. Meet Senad Hajdari, another “Humans of Dubrovnik” hero. Since 10 years he has served delicious ice cream for thousands of tourists.
The first ice cream store in the city
The Hadjari family has been dealing with ice cream for over half a century. Feim, Senad's grandfather, emigrated from Macedonia to Dubrovnik and opened the first ice cream store in the city in 1964. At the beginning, he was serving ice cream in only four flavors: vanilla, chocolate, lemon and strawberry and it cost 2 kunas. After years the father's business had been inherited by a son, Besim, and later - by Besim's sons. Now a third generation of Hajdarii family works in “Dubrovnik”: Senad, his brothers Cani and Kujtim, cousins: Ljoki, Gasi and Mirjana, Marjana and Ira. The staff was extended, and the range of flavors too... from 4 to 32! The recipe remained mostly unchanged. Apart from traditional flavors you can buy ice cream of mysterious names, such as “american dream” or “eight o'clock”. However, the most popular is “Kinder”, a flavour created because of Senad's
love for chocolate cream.
For many years the shop was in Cavtat. In 2005 it moved to a new location in the Stari Grad centre - on the Stradun. Homemade ice cream quickly became appreciated among Dubrovnik residents and tourists. Shortly after the shop's opening, the Hajdari family had been selling even 8 thousand ice cream servings per day. Today, in high season, about 4 thousand people visit the shop every day. Lower number of sold portions is the result of a strong competition. In the Old Town there are several points which sell ice cream. Senad knows that the high quality of products is not everything - the approach to the client and marketing activities are also important.
Third generation of ice cream sellers. Senad with brothers: Kujtim and Cani
Good ice cream, good staff
In “Dubrovnik” ice cream parlor you can make an order in almost every European language. Senad speaks in 10 languages: Macedonian, Albanian, Croatian, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. His brothers and cousins speak 5 to 6 on average. “People are really surprised when we are talking to them in their languages. They always ask - wow how do you know that?- especially Skandynavians”. At school, Senad learned only basics of French,but the remaining languages he learned thanks to the everyday contact with clients from the whole world: Canada, Australia, Poland and so on.
The sellers do not allow customers to get bored in the queue. They entertain them by showing tricks and tossing ice cream in the air or creating ice cream compositions. Hajdaris are open for wishes and whims of clients - “If a client wants some special flavor, we can create it”.
Funny situations also happen from time to time: “One customer couldn't decide which flavor he wanted to buy. At the end he said: -I take all of them! 16 scoops.- Then I answered: -OK, and I'll throw in 3 more for free-”. This is how the new record of “Dubrovnik” has been set – 19 scoops in one cone.
Dubrovnik’s record - 19 scoops in one cone
Everybody loves ice cream
The shop is visited by ice cream lovers from all around the world. In “Dubrovnik” ice creams have been served for customers from Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and many famous people, sportsmen, movie or music stars. Senad still remembers the visit of his first well-known customer, it was Roman Abramovich, a Russian businessman and politician, owner of the Chelsea F.C. „He bought only one scoop in yoghurt and fruits flavour, because he said he loves yoghurts. He really enjoyed our ice cream.” Later ice creams were bought by locally known sportsmen like Luka Modrić (football), Ivano Balić (handball), Goran Ivanišević (tennis) or a singer, Severina. “Dubrovnik” ice cream were liked also by the cast of the popular “Game of Thrones” series. „I met one member of movie crew and he said -it’s very hot and I love ice cream. Please bring some ice cream to us-. They enjoyed them, sometimes I sent to them 50 or 60 ice creams”. Sometimes after recording and tiring day on movie set, actors and members of the crew visited ice cream parlor. At the end, everyone loves ice cream.
The shop is open 10 months a year, 7 days a week, from morning until late hours. Senad doesn't feel tired though, because: “I love working at the ice cream store. It makes me happy. It is my hobby and family business at the same time and I feel proud I can do what I do”.
No comments:
Post a Comment