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Daniel Otero and Christian Otero
EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Class of 2024, Argentina
Daniel Otero, Director and Co-Founder, and Christian Otero, CEO and Co-Founder, of Lucciano’s
Share the joy of Daniel Otero and Christian Otero’s winning moment at Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Argentina.
Former hobbyists are crafting a cool future in the global artisan gelato market.
In 2011, father-and-son team Daniel and Christian Otero entered the gelato business as a hobby. Opening their first Lucciano’s store, they had no way of knowing that they would eventually have over 90 stores around the world.
The family-owned company was created to satisfy the most discerning consumers of artisan gelato. Having traveled to Italy, the Oteros brought back state-of-the-art technology and Italian gelato masters, so they could craft premium treats in Argentina. They continue to source many ingredients from Europe. This appreciation of high quality has driven Lucciano’s popularity on three continents.
Another ingredient in the Oteros’ success is their business background. Daniel, a public accountant, has founded several companies, including a sportswear chain. Following in his father’s footsteps, Christian has 25 years of business experience, including a stint as Argentina’s youngest FIFA agent.
It was this know-how that led the pair to recognize an opportunity to disrupt the gelato market. They noticed that typical ice cream parlors looked identical and seemed frozen in time. That’s why the Oteros strive to dish out a uniquely Lucciano’s customer experience alongside its premium gelato and ice pops.
While no two Lucciano’s locations are identical, they all share eye-catching aesthetics that make for great photos on social media, and it’s fitting that many stores feature hashtags. The cinema-themed one in Mendoza, Argentina, has one that reads: #THEICECREAMMASTERS. Being social media-friendly speaks to the pair’s vision of expanding to 250 stores and more than 5,000 retail points of sale by 2027.
We are convinced that technology is a strategic partner that opens doors for us to reach more and more places in the world. Without technology, we cannot think big!
I feel Lucciano’s [is] a big family. The sense of belonging and commitment achieved by each of its members allows us to dream, day by day, of continuing to take our brand to the world.