Innovation often stems from recognizing a gap in the market and seizing an opportunity. Affogato Café + Gelato, a beloved local business in Muskoka, wanted to expand its reach beyond its brick-and-mortar location. Inspired by the region’s strong boating culture, they envisioned a way to bring their authentic gelato, specialty coffees, and desserts directly to customers on the water.
This vision led to a partnership with NyDock, resulting in the creation of the Affogato Gelato Floating Barge—an innovative, mobile gelato experience unlike any other.
Project Goal
Affogato Café + Gelato aimed to expand their business and bring their authentic gelato, specialty coffees, and desserts to more customers in Muskoka. They wanted to create a unique, mobile experience that would cater to both locals and visitors while differentiating themselves from traditional ice cream trucks.
Our Process
Partnering with NyDock. Affogato reached out to NyDock, a well-established floating dock company in Huntsville, to explore the feasibility of their idea. NyDock provided an initial barge on a trial basis to test the business concept. The trial proved highly successful, with strong customer demand and positive feedback.
Building the Gelato Dock Boat. To accommodate a heavy-duty gelato freezer (approximately 700 lbs) and a generator, NyDock customized the floating barge with their signature floating pontoons. These pontoons provided the necessary stability and durability to support the weight while ensuring smooth navigation across the lakes. The NyDock Dock Boat was equipped with a 9.9HP outboard motor, tapered pontoons, a transom, and removable safety railings for easy operation and customer access.
Operational Success & Expansion. After a year of successful operation, Affogato officially purchased the NyDock barge and has since operated it every summer. The floating gelato barge now cruises through Penn (Peninsula) Lake, Lake Vernon, and Fairy Lake every weekend, as well as making scheduled stops at Deerhurst Resort every Thursday during the summer months.
Success Story
The Affogato Gelato Floating Barge has become a beloved summer attraction in Muskoka. Customers actively seek out the barge, tracking its movements via GPS and social media. The unique concept has led to strong word-of-mouth marketing, helping Affogato grow its customer base.
Customer Engagement: The barge serves customers at docks, on boats, and at cottages, creating an unforgettable experience. Many customers return every weekend to find the barge.
Reliability & Performance: Despite carrying heavy equipment, the NyDock barge is easy to steer, dock, and maneuver. It remains steady, even in rough waters, ensuring safe and smooth operations.
Event Bookings: Due to high demand, the barge is also available for private events, such as weddings, birthdays, and dock parties, further expanding Affogato’s revenue opportunities.
Jonathan, the owner of Affogato, has seen continued growth and customer enthusiasm since launching the floating barge. As he puts it:
“People love the barge. They love having it over. I’ve had customers from day one.”
The barge is available for special events like weddings, birthdays or dock parties and camps during “off hours” Mid-week (Monday to Thursday) or in the evening after 7:30 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Please visit their request form to book the barge for mid-week and off-hours events. If you are looking to have the barge visit during the regular weekend business hours, please find the barge using the GPS and send them a message through social media.