Affogato Café + Gelato is growing to provide Muskoka with more authentic gelato flavours and products, specialty coffees, signature sandwiches, Italian pastries and desserts all with gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free options.
But what’s more is that in addition to their 72 Main St E (Riverfront Entrance) in Huntsville, Affogato has also taken their business to the water!
That’s right… just four years ago, Affogato Café + Gelato connected with our team at NyDock to create a floating dock barge that brings gelato right to your boat, dock, or cottage.
“People love the barge. They love having it over. I’ve had customers from day one.” – Jonathan, Affogato Gelato Floating Barge
To learn more about this innovative way to serve cold treats, we sat down with the ‘Good Pirate Jonathan’ to get the full scoop on his dock boat.
The Story Behind The Floating Dock Barge
In 2019, the team Affogato Café + Gelato began thinking about ways to expand their business and branch out. Putting their heads together, they soon realized that there were no ice cream trucks in their area.
With a love for the water, the team soon also concluded that they had never seen a water-based version of an ice cream truck. From there, the idea of a gelato dock boat was born.
Familiar with NyDock’s strong presence in the Huntsville area, Affogato Café + Gelato owner Jonathan reached out to our team to collaborate. Originally, we lent the barge to Jonathan to test it out, and after a year of success, the Affogato team purchased the barge to run their new business all summer long.
Today, the popular barge is booming with business.
Building The Dock Boat Barge
To accommodate a gelato freezer and a generator for Affogato, the barge needed to be built with durable, strong floating dock materials. With NyDock’s floating pontoons, this was no problem.
“I don’t think people realize actually how much [the fridge] weighs. It is 600 pounds. And then for gelato, it’s got to be close to 700 pounds.” – Jonathan, Affogato Gelato Floating Barge
Our standard NyDock Dock Boats are true vessels and can be fitted with up to a 9.9HP outboard motor. They come complete with tapered pontoons, a transom, and removable safety railings.
Despite the weight, Jonathan says the barge is surprisingly easy to steer, drive, and dock.
“It’s not hard driving it by any means. I had someone come up to me recently that said, ‘Wow, I watched you dock. You did an amazing job steering. My husband needs to practice’”. – Jonathan, Affogato Gelato Floating Barge
Johnathan also told us the NyDock barge is incredibly reliable and designed to survive even the toughest of water conditions. It may be slow and steady at 4km per hour, but it always gets the job done.
“It’s steady. It’s like standing on a dock. And I’ve been through some pretty rough water.” – Jonathan, Affogato Gelato Floating Barge
How & Where To Find the Barge
The Affogato Gelato Floating Barge spends every weekend cruising Penn (Peninsula) Lake, Lake Vernon and Fairy Lake (weather permitting). Jonathan also brings the barge to Deerhurst every Thursday in the summer.
“People love the experience. I have people that come out every weekend to find us. And it’s not just docks. We can meet people on their boats, too.” – Jonathan, Affogato Gelato Floating Barge
Follow the good Pirate Jonathan using the Affogato Gelato Floating Barge’s GPS, so you can find him and see where we are heading!
Requesting the Barge To Your Dock or Cottage
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.
You can follow Affogato on Instagram @affogatomuskoka and NyDock at @nydockfloatingdocks. Learn more about our dock boats and pontoons on our website today!