Ice Cream University proudly announces the winner of its fifth annual ICE CREAM STORE OF THE YEAR AWARD known as THE PASSION AWARD.

The 2008 winner is Christie Hauck of Bravo Gelato of Nashville, TN voted the very best ice cream shop in the United States by Bill Lambert and Malcolm Stogo.

The purpose of the award is to honor the very best, and Bravo Gelato certainly demonstrates this in its passion for making its gelato shops great, making the very best frozen dessert product, sharing their enthusiasm with employees and customers, and for not giving up in the face of the adversity.

Bravo Gelato has five retail locations and over 25 wholesale accounts in the Nashville area, the best being at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. What is so special and unique about Bravo Gelato is having a founder and owner who is one very creative guy: Christie Hauck. His famous cookie concept - Christie Cookies - is world famous. Using the knowledge of the cookie business, he has created some amazing flavors that jump out at you. So from the beginning Christie's Bravo Gelato has had terrific brand recognition with the public-at-large in Nashville.

In addition to a great-tasting product, what added to our excitement about their passion is the way they handled their adversity from a major employee theft that almost put them out of business. For a great majority of people facing the same situation, it would have been easier to give up. Not Christie and Melissa Hauck. They simply refused and continued to grow their business.

To us, this is passion- passion in what you are doing in a way that tests your ability to get up off the ground, and say, not us. So, we believe that in all the years we have given a Passion Award, this passion has clearly been over and beyond anything we have ever seen.

As the winner of the 2008 Passion Award, Bravo Gelato will receive the following:

* A free scholarship to any ICE CREAM UNIVERSITY 2008 SEMINAR.
* An invitation to be a guest instructor at one of our 2008 seminars.
* Bravo Gelato's own page on our www.icecreamuniversity.org web page describing its concept for one year.
* A plaque and certificate designating Bravo Gelato as 2008 PASSION AWARD winner.

The Passion Award has been evolving as we have watched our students come to us with a passion to enter the Incredible Ice Cream Business, but with limited knowledge on how to move forward. Bravo Gelato has PASSION, and has shown this passion every day they have been in business.