Amor Acuya is a successful Colombian ice cream brand that will soon be available at Epic, the highly anticipated new Universal park in Florida, U.S.
Founded by Daniela Lince, an entrepreneur from Medellín, Amor Acuya has claimed the top spot on the list of the world’s best ice cream parlors for the third time and holds the title of the most awarded in Colombia. There are currently three Amor Acuya locations in Medellín, and the business continues to expand into international markets, as Lince explained to Forbes Colombia.
The story of Daniela Lince, founder of Colombian ice cream Amor Acuya
Daniela, 31 years old, comes from a family with a strong tradition of gastronomical entrepreneurship. Her dad started a business selling hot dogs and hamburgers from street trucks before expanding into the Pizza business.
A Maracuya (passion fruit) and cacao ice cream would change her life. She named it “Amor-Acuya,” without even knowing this name would later become the brand of her business.
Her passion for ice cream was sparked during a food fair in Bogotá, which she attended with her father while still in college. There, she gained valuable insights into the ice cream industry, deepening her fascination with the craft. So strong was her determination that in 2011—despite the high cost of an ice cream maker—she finally found an affordable one in China, allowing her to launch the business alongside her father.
She told Forbes Colombia that she initially set up the ice cream maker in her basement, where she and her father spent days experimenting—despite their limited knowledge at the time. After two months of trial and error, they developed their first six ice cream flavors, which they began selling from a small display freezer in their Buenos Aires neighborhood in Medellín.
At the time, the business operated under the name “Dolce Gelato,” and its success quickly exceeded their expectations. That same year, they were able to invest in a second, larger display freezer with the capacity to showcase at least 18 flavors.
Despite their limited knowledge on the business but driven by passion, Daniela said that her approach to the entrepreneurial world motivated her to pursue a professional career in food engineering. She maintained special focus on innovation and product development, with her mind zoned in on the ice cream business.
While in college, her dad invited her to take an ice cream making course in the city of Bogota — led by one of the most recognized worldwide professors in the industry from the Italian University Caprigiani Gelato. Later, Daniela pursued studies at the University as part of a college exchange program.
By 2015 at at the age of 20, Daniela discovered the importance of ice cream on a global scale after hearing about the World Masters Gelato Festival; a world class event where only the best ice cream makers compete for the World Masters title.
She decided to come back to Colombia with her mind set on competing at the 2016 World Masters Gelato Festival.
She revealed to Forbes Colombia that initially she thought about competing using traditional Colombian flavors like coffee, but later decided upon traditional chocolate. She says she intended to represent Colombian flavors by using a well-known fruit, the Maracuya (passionfruit) with a mix of chocolate made up of 65% of cacao. A mix that later gave origins to her brand Amor-Acuya,” a name that Daniela says represents the love that chocolate evokes combined with the diversity of Colombian fruit.
The contest received more than 8,000 applications and only 16 contestants were called to compete in the final round that took place in Chicago. That year, Daniela received the award for best ice cream in America which opened doors to expand her business in Medellin and also giving her a boost to consolidate a sister brand in the U.S.
By 2024 Daniela successfully achieved a sales record of more than 30,000 kilos per month.
Aiming to be the best in the world
After receiving an award in 2017, Daniela’s ambitions grew as she recognized the global potential of homemade ice cream. She set her sights on becoming the best in the world.
Taking the first step in that direction, she embraced a business model centered around creation labs. Her vision was to offer customers a unique experience—ensuring that every visit to her parlors meant discovering freshly made ice cream, prepared that very morning, much like bread straight out of the oven.
As her business expanded, so did its international recognition. For the second time, her ice cream was awarded third place in a global competition, and in 2024, she secured the 48th spot among the world’s top 50.
Today, Daniela leads a thriving company with 70 employees and two production plants, continuing to push the boundaries of artisanal ice cream.
Crossing borders and plans ahead
Obsessed with maintaining the highest quality standards, Daniela says she is not interested in expanding her business to other cities for now. Her focus remains on keeping her ice cream brand the best in Colombia, one of the finest in the world, and a recognized tourist attraction in Medellín.
Nevertheless, Amor-Acuya has already made its way to the U.S., operating for a few years alongside OLA, its sister brand in Miami. Thanks to a strategic alliance, Daniela now has a production plant in Miami, where her 100% Colombian-made ice cream is distributed to hotels, the Hard Rock Stadium, and—very soon—the Universal Parks in Orlando, Florida.
For 2025, Daniela’s plans center on consolidating a new business and opening her own ice cream parlor in the U.S.
This has certainly been a beautiful journey for this Colombian entrepreneur that only dreamt, but never imagined her ice cream brand would reach such worldwide recognition. Today, she has not only fulfilled her dreams but has also successfully positioned a Colombian brand on the international stage.