The Adonia™ Greek Frozen Yogurt collection is also welcoming a selection of new items this year. Blood Orange + Vanilla Swirl will join other protein-packed flavors like Espresso, Key Lime, and Mango. Other new items include two Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars (Mango + Vanilla and Raspberry + Vanilla) and three Adonia™ Greek Frozen Yogurt Novelty Squares (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Vanilla + Chocolate Swirl).

Before you head out the door and over to your local retailer to grab one of these tempting new items, click here to download a $1.00 OFF coupon towards your next purchase. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on Ciao Bella’s news, special offers, & upcoming events.

Lemon Zest Sorbet is great palate cleanser as you switch from tortilla chips with queso dip to an Italian sub. It not only tastes great, it soothes your mouth after you have finished your last hot a spicy chicken wing. As a 4^th quarter dessert, why not try one of my favorites, Malted Milk Ball Gelato.  You can never go wrong with rich cream and malted milk ball morsels. And of course, I need my Pistachio Gelato. So bring some Ciao Bella on February 3^rd and truly become the MVP of the party!

We all know it’s the busiest travel time of the year – people are flying across the country and some across the world to be with their families this season. It has us singing a holiday favorite: there’s no place like home for the holidays.

Ciao Bella is glad to call New York City our home. It’s where we began as a small gelato and sorbet shop in Little Italy and it is a spectacular place to be this time of year. The Rockefeller Plaza Christmas Tree, ice skating in Central Park, all the stores decorated on Fifth Avenue – the list goes on and on. This time of year also features delicious treats at our Grand Central Terminal gelato bar like the Tartufo Rosso – a Raspberry Truffle smoothie featuring our Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt and Dark Chocolate Sorbet.

No matter where you’re spending the time, if you’re heading to a holiday party, Ciao Bella is happy to make our gelato, sorbet or Greek frozen yogurt a part of your celebrations. Remember you can always put a spin on traditional hostess gifts and substitute some Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet in place of what everyone is expecting – Cabernet in a bottle.

We wish all of our fans a wonderful and delicious holiday season and a very happy new year!

If you’re anything like me, you are getting your hands on anything and everything that can help boost your immune system and stay healthy and happy this holiday season. Vitamin after vitamin, the anti-cold routine becomes boring.

But who says vitamins have to come in pill form.  Ciao Bella lovingly crafts Greek frozen yogurt desserts and sorbets that are “just what the doctor ordered”.  New Adonia by Ciao Bella Wild Blueberry Greek Frozen Yogurt contains antioxidants and live and active cultures, both of which help boost the body’s immune system, simply by enjoying delicious Greek frozen yogurt.  Or, if you prefer a dairy free alternative, Ciao Bella Lemon Zest Sorbet and Passion Fruit Sorbet are both excellent sources of Vitamin C.   Being sick is no fun, but at least it can be made a little better with Ciao Bella Greek frozen yogurt and sorbet.

After coming back to our office after the power outage, the Ciao Bella team came together and decided that we needed to give back to those who lost more than just power. A few people had already volunteered in their own communities by donating food and goods to warming centers, helping shelters organize food for distribution, and making donations to the Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

Keep an eye out for our blue Ciao Bella truck as we travel to different parts of northern NJ helping local communities in need. If you catch us on the road, snap a photo and post it to @ciaobellagelato on Twitter and/or Instagram! Just this morning our truck helped a local community leader, Majella, and her group deliver food and household items to the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains.

In addition to local assistance, beginning Monday, November 12^th until Sunday, November 18^th, Ciao Bella’s Grand Central Terminal location in NYC will be giving away free scoops of gelato or sorbet with any purchase if you show the employees your text message or email confirming your donation to the Red Cross. (To make donations to the Red Cross, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 or visit their donation page.)

Below are just a few tips for those affected by the storm:

• If you have relatives or friends with power & heat, stay with them until your house is warm & lighted.
• Check for water-boiling advisories on the water supply in your area. Many water systems were affected due to flooding.
• See if there are shelters or warming centers in your area where you can go to charge electronics and stay warm for a few hours.
• Never leave the gas burners on or bring your generator in the house. They give off deadly fumes that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Keep in mind that if your Ciao Bella gelato, sorbet, or Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt has been completely melted, it is not recommended for consumption. Ingredients may separate and ice crystals are likely to form once it refreezes.

Our team hopes that all of our fans, along with their friends and family, are safe and able to return to their normal routines as soon as possible. We would also like to celebrate all of the volunteers who are coming together in this time of need.

So what does your coolest celebration look like? 

Is it filled with classy cocktails and celeb guest appearances?  Or is it a festive picnic at your perfect fall getaway? Maybe you just can’t get enough of your favorite Ciao Bella flavor..

There are endless ways to show us your celebration!

We’d love to see all the details and it’s easy to enter.  Just click to our Sweepstakes Page for the rules (easy at 1, 2, 3) and enter to win!

In return we have some very ‘cool’ prizes:

• Grand Prize Winner receives $3,000 plus $250 in Ciao Bella products

• 4 Winners will receive $50 in Ciao Bella products

The contest ends 3:00 pm EST on 10/26/12, so get Pinning!

Of course interaction with customers occurs on a daily basis, but employees from the various shops come together in what they would like to call “inter-shop relationships” as well. “We kind of form this odd but great big family ,” said Kyle, a long-time Ciao Bella employee at the Ferry Building. “It’s just really great to have a lot of common ground with so many other people. I have made more friends working at the Ferry Building than anywhere else in the Bay Area since moving here [from New Jersey].” Many Ciao Bella employees have formed friendships with staff from other shops, forming an extended community that goes beyond the Ciao Bella counter during work hours. “The Ferry Building is a fixture in San Francisco, and I like being a strong component of the community and experience here,” said Mark, our Ciao Bella Ferry Building manager.

Another staff value high on the list – diversity. The Ferry Building, although a major tourist destination, is a common stop for many locals as well.  “The local flora and fauna of the Ferry Building is a diverse collection of people, including, but not limited to: stock brokers, yoga moms, homeless people, street performers and more,” said Nikos – a Ciao Bella employee who is a Marin County native.

Now, there wouldn’t be true California culture at our shop if we didn’t embrace creativity. Employees are encouraged to use their imaginations to design our standing sign advertising our healthy recipes – seen by both Ciao Bella customers and passers-by.  In this sense, the employees bring their own talents to the table and contribute to the artisan atmosphere of the Ferry Building. The sign is updated frequently to communicate special promotions, gelato flavors, and menu items – so keep an eye out next time you’re walking by.

Now what about their favorite frozen desserts? It was hard to get each employee to decide on just one flavor – completely understandable, especially since they’ve tried most, if not all, the flavors, combinations and healthy recipes Ciao Bella offers. The Favorite Flavor list included our Triple Espresso Gelato, Lebanese Yogurt, and Madagascar Vanilla Gelato + Raspberry Sorbet combo.  The Ciao Bella employees also raved about menu items at other neighboring shops such as Miette Bakery, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Il Cane Rosso.

We consider San Francisco our home away from home.  With our Ferry Building Gelato Bar, the yearly Winter Fancy Food show, and this weekend’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival.  Celebrating its 17^th year, the festival continues to support Project Open Hand, wonderful charity that provides home delivered meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS.  Attendees are treated to live music, chef demonstrations, Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ciao Bella’s selection of frozen desserts.  If you are in the Bay Area, stop by to enjoy our classic Blood Orange Sorbet, decadant Belgian Chocolate Gelato or our NEW Greek Frozen Yogurt.  Tickets are still available!

Staying closer to the New York Area? Ciao Bella grew up in New York starting in 1983 and we’ve planted our roots all along the tri state area.  On Sunday we are providing riders of the Gran Fondo NJ with the perfect post workout snack – Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars.  With 5 grams of protein and only 75 calories, riders will be eager for a nutritious treat after 50-90 miles of biking once they reach the Chester rest stop.

If your ‘staycation’ does go farther than your backyard, we’ll have you covered for that too!  Our gelato squares (available in Key Lime Graham and Belgian Chocolate S’mores) are the perfect outdoor treat to follow any barbeque you have in mind.  Add some refreshing sorbet to your favorite cocktail or mix up smoothies for your friends/family with our Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt!

Have a photo of Ciao Bella at your stay-cation? We’d love to see it! Click to our Facebook page to Tweet us to share!

It could be the beach, the mountains, the city… there is something “bella” everywhere we turn. With a busy summer coming to a close, we’ve had a chance to look back at some of beautiful places Ciao Bella has visited in the past few months. There’s a chance you’ll even recognize most of them!

One of our favorites: the Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt bird’s eye view of Central Park in NYC from the Penthouse Suite of the London Hotel. Anyone who has ever been to Central Park could tell you how big it is and how much there is to see – but you can appreciate the park’s beauty much more from the top floors of a NYC skyscraper!

Like most people, I usually enjoy my Ciao Bella [preferably the Passion Fruit Sorbet] on my couch with a “view” of my television. Last weekend I was able to enjoy it in the fragrance department at Saks Fifth Avenue in Short Hills, NJ while giving away gelato & sorbet samples to shoppers. Right in the middle of designer handbags, shoes, fragrances… what a perfect Saturday afternoon for a “bella girl.”

So we’re asking fans – what’s the most beautiful view you’ve had while enjoying Ciao Bella?

Want to see where we go next? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or visit our Events Calendar on the Buzz page for dates and details.

Stop by August 11th and 18th at the Whole Foods City Picnic to get your free sample of your favorite sorbet or Greek frozen yogurt! See you all there!