IL Gelato Hawai‘i, a long time HRA member, has expanded its scope of business to include a new service company, Dolce Hawai’i Equipment & Supply, to provide preventive maintenance service to restaurants and kitchens.
IL Gelato is an authentic Italian style gelateria on O‘ahu that makes all-natural gourmet gelato and offers wholesale and catering services to hotels & restaurants. IL Gelato operates busy and award winning retail locations at Kahala Mall, Pearl Highland Center and Haleiwa.

Dirk Koeppenkastrop
During the years of culinary gelato competitions and the successful participation in the Gelato World Championships in 2014 and 2016 in Italy, founder and former HRA Chair Dirk Koeppenkastrop, Ph.D. has built relationships with the top suppliers of ice cream & pastry equipment & supplies in Europe. “Importing and making it available to others was just the logical next step” says Chef Dirk. As a wholly owned subsidiary Dolce Hawai’i Equipment & Supply is the distributor for European freezer brands and pastry supplies known for their most innovative and highest quality products in their respective industries.
Representing Italian refrigeration equipment companies in the middle of the Pacific has shaped the focus on refrigeration maintenance and repair. “It was always very difficult to maintain and repair all of our own freezers and refrigeration equipment and that has triggered our idea to provide this niche service in Hawai’i”, says Koeppenkastrop. “We want to bring modern and effective techniques from the food manufacturing into the restaurants and kitchens and preventive maintenance programs will make a difference” he adds.
Regular maintenance and cleaning will increase equipment up-time and reduce potentially expensive repair costs. Preventive maintenance measures will also minimize challenges with the Department of Health and help avoid yellow or red placards. In addition, regular maintenance and cleaning of compressors and condensers will increase efficiency and reduce electricity cost.
For more information: www.Dolce-Hawaii.com
Dirk Koepenkastrop, Ph.D, ph: (808)542-9276, Dirk@ILGelato-Hawaii.com
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