Jana Iaccarino from the Coco Beach ice cream shop. She makes her own ice cream in her shop Photo: Ralf Lutter
By Sara Orlos Fernandes
The operator of the Coco Beach ice cream parlor is one of the few women who makes her own ice cream. A real tough job that the power woman loves.
Since February 25th, ice cream has been produced and sold again at Coco Beach on Lichtenrader Damm. Jana Iaccarino (52) has been behind the heavy machines for 20 years.
Every day she lugs 25-kilo sacks of sugar, fills 125 liters of milk into the ice cream machine with buckets and purees the raw ice cream mass with an XXL stirring rod.
“It’s physically demanding work. That’s why I’m the only woman in Berlin who does it alone,” says the Lichtenrader.
Jana had to raise the ball price by 20 cents with a heavy heart Photo: Ralf Lutter
At first she struggled with sore muscles and back pain. The body has now gotten used to it. The Berliner learned how to make ice cream from her Italian husband. Nothing else was ever an option, because the 52-year-old loves ice cream and has been snacking off the counter every day since 1987.
Like every season, there will be a new variety this year. Iaccarino’s creation: Caramel ice cream with a salty pretzel for 1.70 euros a scoop. Expenditure has also increased in her company, which is why she had to raise the price of the balls by 20 cents with a heavy heart.
Iaccarino doesn’t think about quitting: “As long as my body cooperates, I’ll keep going.“