Packaged ice cream

Coppa del Nonno celebrates 70 years with 30 million ice creams sold per year

It is the fourth largest reference in the large-scale retail trade with a 44% share among the cups. Froneri Italia turnover at 350 million and 80 million investments in 3 years

by Maria Teresa Manuelli

10 July 2025

3' min read

3' min read

Seventy years and counting. Coppa del Nonno, Froneri's iconic ice cream, celebrates an anniversary in 2025 that consecrates it as one of the longest-lived and best-loved brands on the Italian food scene. With important numbers: 30 million cups sold per year and a market share of 44% in the ice cream cup segment. And of the total ice cream in Italy, its share stands at 1.4 per cent. In 2024, the brand generated a turnover of EUR 25 million, between retail and out-of-home channels, contributing around 6 per cent of Froneri Italia's total turnover.

"Coppa del Nonno," began Quirino Cipollone, managing director of Froneri Italia, "is the fourth best-selling ice cream in Italy in the large-scale retail trade, so we could call itthe fourth best-loved ice cream by Italians.

Market phenomenon: 76% brand awareness

Born in 1955, Coppa del Nonno became one of the most important brands for Italgel, a company in the ice-cream sector born from the union between Tanara, Alemagna and Motta. Following its incorporation into Nestlé in 1993, since October 2016 the Coppa del Nonno brand has become part of the Froneri portfolio, a company created from the joint venture between Nestlé and R&R.

The secret of longevity? 'Staying true to itself,' Cipollone explains. 'Many historic Italian brands have not done so and have lost ground over the years. Coppa del Nonno on the other hand has kept its taste, creaminess and texture essentially identical for 70 years'.

But beware: loyalty does not mean immobility. The brand has been able to renew itself in communication, focusing heavily on digital. "Last year, we invested great resources in digital communication and this year we have increased investment by 15%," reveals the manager. The result? The acquisition of 200,000 new households in 2024, bringing the total to 1.6 million buying households.

"Coppa del Nonno is not just an ice cream, it is a market phenomenon. With a brand awareness of 76%, it ranks as the fifth most recognisable brand on the shelf and is in the top 10 of the most loved brands by Italian consumers".

Froneri Italia: a 350 million big

Coppa del Nonno is the flagship of Froneri Italia, which in 2024 closed with a turnover of 350 million euro, confirming its position as one of the leading players in the ice cream sector, thanks to a portfolio that ranges from the great classics such as Coppa del Nonno, precisely, and Maxibon, to more recent brands such as Nuii. The company, which is part of the international Froneri group (5 billion global turnover), operates two factories in Ferentino (Fr) and Terni, producing over 73,000 tonnes of ice cream per year (150 million litres) and employing 386 permanent employees and around 751 seasonal workers. "We are the only company at an international level," Cipollone emphasises, "100% focused on the ice cream industry.

Invested 80 million in six years

The success of the Coppa del Nonno is part of a company strategy that looks to the future. Froneri has invested 50 million euros in the last three years (30 million for sustainability, 15 million for innovation, 5 million for safety) and plans another 30 million for the period 2025-2028: 15 million euros dedicated to innovation, with a focus on new formats, digitalisation and production capacity, 10 million to sustainability/Esg, to make factories ever greener and more responsible, and 5 million in safety and compliance, to guarantee higher regulatory standards and protection of people. On the sustainability front, in particular, the company is working on innovative packaging solutions, while maintaining the historical cup.

'When you have very iconic shapes that cannot always be replicated in other materials, the exercise is not immediate,' Cipollone admits, 'but we are working on it.

The Future of Tradition

With a supply chain that favours Made in Italy (93% of packaging and 75% of raw materials purchased in Italy), Froneri Italia is preparing to face future challenges without betraying its identity. "Innovation is not excluded," Cipollone concludes, "but we will only do it if we find the recipe that makes Coppa del Nonno consumers happier, without betraying their expectations. Seventy years later, Coppa del Nonno continues to be much more than just an ice cream: it is a piece of Italian history that has been able to cross generations, keeping intact its charm and its ability to evoke childhood memories. And the numbers prove that this magic is destined to last for a long time to come.