Written by Mariah Jurow and James La Barrie
If you’ve had the good fortune to visit Europe, then the word enchantment may resonate. The cultures of France, Spain, and Italy conjure up feelings of a culture that goes out of its way to appreciate the simpler things of life – namely food, wine, coffee and most importantly, time with each other. It’s these moments that resonated with Jennifer Sandler and is what inspired her to bring a piece of that culture back to Rock Hill in the form of Italy’s greatest dessert – gelato.
In 2018, Jennifer transformed her passion into a business appropriately named Wanderlust Gelato. Since then, it’s likely you’ve 
seen Jennifer serving her amazing dessert at weddings, and corporate events throughout York County and Charlotte due to her unique offering. Jennifer has not only invested her time in learning how to create amazing gelato, but she also went big on her presentation with an authentic bicycle cart which was made by hand in Sicily.
Here at Beyond Marketing, we are passionate about entrepreneurship and learning about entrepreneurs and what drives them. Every person has a story that leads them to that crossroads moment that pushes them to take their idea and will it into existence. We sat down with Jennifer to learn about her background and how Wanderlust came to be.
Meet Rock Hill Resident, Jennifer Sandler
Born and raised in Charlotte, Jennifer Sandler has always had a curious and adventurous spirit. Once in high school, she exercised her curiosity by participating in a scholarship exchange program and moved to Germany for a year. She spent that year living with a German host family and attending a German high school. She spoke fluent German and soon fell madly in love with the European lifestyle and culture. At just eighteen-years-old, Jennifer’s path in life had changed completely and for the better.
Flash forward a few years, Jennifer got accepted to Queens University of Charlotte and traveled abroad for an internship in Germany and to France and England via the John Belk International Program (JBIP). She earned a Masters of Global Studies through the University of Freiburg in Germany, and spent two full years studying in Argentina, India, and Germany (again). After all of her travels, one thing she knew for certain: She loved traveling and she wanted to bring a piece of her experiences back with her to Rock Hill where she resides today. That piece of culture was in the Italian dessert of gelato.
What Exactly is Gelato?
If you’re unfamiliar with gelato, then this is a dessert needing to be experienced. Gelato is essentially Italy’s version of ice cream that is gaining huge popularity here in the US.
Gelato starts out with a similar custard base as ice cream but has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs (or no eggs at all). It is churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream.
The Birth of Wanderlust Gelato
Jennifer began taking a few gelato-making courses locally. As her interest grew, she decided to fly to New York to take a class from a very skilled and popular gelatician. There, Jennifer was professionally trained in gelato-making. She even came across an authentic and beautiful bicycle gelato cart that reminded her of the carts she had visited countless times while living and traveling in Europe. She knew immediately that she had to get her hands on one. She did some research and found out that the carts were made-by-hand in Sicily. It took awhile for everything to come together, but she finally knew that she was going to be able to fulfill her vision of bringing authentic gelato to Rock Hill.
In May of 2018, Jennifer took delivery of her cart and with it, the launch of Wanderlust Gelato. Since then, Jennifer has been seen at many of the major events in town from weddings, corporate events, university events and just about anywhere a host wishes to delight his/her guests.
How To Have Wanderlust Gelato At Your Event
As you’ll learn, Jennifer is a professional. Making great gelato is an art form that requires precision and attention to detail. You can expect these traits when hiring Jennifer and Wanderlust for an event. Jennifer is dedicated to creating a great product and custom flavors for each of the events she caters. You can be sure that Jennifer will not only “wow” your guests with great gelato, but also elevate the experience with her authentic cart from Sicily which serves as a draw unto its own.
If you are interested in booking Wanderlust Gelato for your next event you can call Jennifer directly at 803-412-2136 or email Jennifer here.
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