Interview: Valentina Salcedo
Every Saturday we’re spotlighting remarkable local females who could change the way we look at the world. This Saturday is Chiara Soban’s turn, an entrepreneur from Trieste turned full-time mom.
“I was born in a gelato shop”, jokes Chiara Soban as we sit down for a cup of coffee and a chat. It’s true, Chiara grew up between cones and flavors in her parents’ ice cream shop, which they have been running since 1977. At 13 she started passing her summers helping them out and that’s when her passion for gelato world was born.
Chiara graduated in Public Relations and Advertising from the University of Milan which led her to jobs in London, Milan, and lastly Albania. Things seemed to be working out, but she felt something was missing. Six years ago she decided to change her life and start a job that made her wake up every morning feeling truly excited about going to work. In 2017 Chiara opened the first Gelateria Soban in Trieste, giving life to the second generation family business.
Opening a shop alone is not easy. Even with support, Chiara’s family was far away, running the other three shops (two in Alessandria and one in Valenza). At the beginning, settling down was a challenge, in a city full of Gelato shops, known and loved for a long time.
“I come from Piemonte where everybody knows the “Soban” last name, and here, nobody does”, says Chiara. Besides that, a young woman in the ice cream business makes people wonder if the ice cream is good enough, or if she has enough knowledge to be making the high quality Italian gelato.
“People used to stop by and ask me who the owner was. When I answered it was me they would ask again, or, sometimes, just asked if I could make gelato while they watched me working in the laboratory”, explains the gelato owner.
However, after some years in the business Chiara earned the trust of the customers. In 2017 Chiara gave birth to her first baby: the ice cream shop or gelateria. Last December the shop was closed because she was expecting her “second” baby, Dora. Until the ninth month of pregnancy she had spent a lot of time in the gelateria, as she wanted to take a break later and focus on the new member of the family. Last year, during the summer season, she was trying to manage being pregnant and working full time, which at times seemed extremely challenging.
Chiara pushed forward as she knew that dealing with the stress would be harder once the baby arrived. Recruiting temporary workers was not an option either as they wouldn’t be able to work as well as she did. Thus, she made one of the hardest decisions of her life.
Closing the shop was one of the most difficult decisions she has taken, but the right one for her family’s well-being. For an entrepreneur like Chiara, it was easier to close down the shop than to hand it over to someone else.
“When I decided to open my shop, my dad asked me if I was sure, because it’s not an easy business for a woman to be in. There is no maternity leave, for example”, explains Chiara. Her father Paolo anticipated the future, but also encouraged and supported his daughter because when she puts her mind to something, nothing can stop her. Closing means protecting the brand, the name, but mostly giving herself time to learn how to be a mom.
Soban is focusing on her family without forgetting all the hard work she’d put into the shop and opened a temporary shop in December selling panettone Christmas cakes. Nowadays, a lot of companies make the fabric panettone sold at the supermarket, but just a few make the artisanal one. There will also be different sweets on offer, including chocolate bites and nougats.
As of now, Chiara doesn’t have a date in the calendar to re-open the shop. Having a baby changes your life and before running a business again you have to put a brake and understand what you are doing with that little person you’re responsible for. Like most, Chiara just wants to be happy, and hopes to be able to find the right balance between work and family life, when the time comes.
