Our Story

Back in the late 90s, which seems like forever ago, I made pizzelle for clients of my marketing & advertising agency. One of my clients, and also a good friend said, “You really need to go into business with these cookies.” I was flattered but didn’t really consider it until my mom, Lucy, 76 at the time, said to me “I wish I could do something with my time…make a little pocket change.” This is when the wheels starting churning. The conversation went something like this:

Denise:  You should do pre-made food for busy professionals to pick up and cook at home.

Lucy: I’ve cooked my whole life and for everyone – I’m not cooking another thing.

On another occasion….

Denise: Maybe you could do a small daycare and watch kids “after” the typical close times for busy professionals who work late.

Lucy: I’ve been watching everyone’s kids for 50 years. No more kids!

During that time my husband and I accepted a dual relocation with our companies to San Jose, CA, but the thought of entrepreneurship and the future of dot.com everything tugged at me.  What can I do as an internet business?  (Hmmm I can make a mean pizzelle.) And, if you know anything about Italians, there’s the good guys and the bad guys.  The bad guys who make pizzelle sell them by the thousands – but they aren’t the real thing. We had to do something different. I decided to ship some to my mother, as a test.  The name “Bellapizzelle” hit me like a ton of bricks. In a dream, where some of my best ideas surface, I envisioned a poster tube to send mini pizzelle to customers…and then after many discussions, testing recipes, and shipping methods, Bellapizzelle launched in 2002 upon our return to PA during the dot.com bust.

Mom and I started the business with four pizzelle irons and a pasta board. We took orders off of the first iteration of a Website. (We’ve come a long way baby.) There were a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, from bulk recipe testing, package innovation, maintaining shipping quality, technology updates, and of course, marketing. Too much marketing meant we couldn’t keep up – and not enough marketing meant it was that much harder to educate and keep prospects aware of this unique cookie in its authentic form.  All this while I was still working full time, but we were determined to differentiate against the big name, mass-produced pizzelle that are loaded with additives, preservatives, color, and stuff we can’t pronounce. (AKA the bad guys.)

Still taking it slow, in 2004 we had enough orders, including a few wholesale orders, to build a bakery in our home.  With advice and specifications from the FDA and the PA Dept. of Agriculture, we built our bakery perfectly to specifications.  Since that time we’ve done demonstrations at food shows, have been featured on news programs, radio shows, in a variety of publications including Women’s Day magazine, blogs, sponsorships, and tasting events.

Mom moved in with us in 2008, a year after the death of my father.  She, too, left this world in 2018 and we miss her greatly.  Lucy inspired the business. She worked the business. And she kept us laughing well into the late nights we spent together making cookies, and memories.  We certainly supported mom’s vision of doing something she always wanted to do, to have felt a sense of pride and productivity in her “golden years.”

One thing hasn’t changed.

We’re here to preserve the authenticity of the pizzelle.

One thing that has — we are strictly wholesale now.  And special events. 

Last note:  Don’t let the bad guys spoil your taste buds for authentic pizzelle.

Stick with the good guys. 

Our crunchy goodness will leave you always wanting more. 

And more.