Staging and Consuming the Italian Lifestyle. The Gelateria and the Pizzeria-Ristorante in Post-war Germany

Abstract

Italian ice-cream parlors and Italian restaurants both were – and still are – immensely popular consumption venues in Germany. In fact, in many cases, they represented the first ethnic eateries. By analyzing the history as well as the material, social and imaginary aspects of these two loci, the article addresses their respective roles in post-war German society and traces the ways in which ice-cream makers and restaurateurs, both capitalizing on what was and still is considered an Italian lifestyle, have defended their cultural capital against outsiders. Although the Gelateria and the Pizzeria-Ristorante share a number of characteristics such as a mainly Italian staff and the use of foods imported from Italy, they nevertheless differ not only with respect to the range of products on offer, but also in terms of the type of entrepreneurship and migration project in which they are embedded.