Ghirardelli Scores A Goal With Its New Sundae

Ghirardelli’s an interesting brand. The American brand was founded by Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli back in 1852, and given that it’s been around for almost 175 years now, it’s easy to think of it as completely unchanging and static. It’s heritage. Why does it need to do anything new? 

Videos by Sporked

Well, it probably doesn’t – but it does it anyway. The last couple of months have been completely nonstop for the brand. It’s put out new chocolate bunnies. It’s dropped a new brownie mix. It entered the Dubai chocolate fray. It now has cookie dough. Like I said, busy! And now, it’s getting in on the World Cup hype, with a new sundae. Let’s dive in.

Gooooal!

Ghirardelli’s new dessert is, appropriately, called the “Waffle GOOOOAL Sundae” (that’s four O’s, if you were interested, and the capitalization is seemingly essential). It builds on the success of the chocolate brand’s Waffle Bowl Hot Fudge Sundae, but gives it a World Cup-focused refresh for the soccer tournament, which starts…today. “The tournament brings an incredible sense of celebration to cities around the world, and we wanted to create a sweet treat that felt memorable for our guests,” Ghirardelli’s vice president of restaurant and retail, Lacey Zane, said in the company’s press release. “The Waffle GOOOOAL Sundae is a playful take on one of our most iconic menu items and a fun way for guests to join in the excitement this summer.”

To be fair to Ghirardelli, this sundae is pretty fun. It doesn’t stray too far away from the brand’s classic vibe, but it’s a stacked affair, with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, diced almonds, a cherry, and, the best bit, a chocolatey soccer ball on top. It’s all served in a dipped chocolate waffle bowl. Oh, and the first customers to purchase it will get a free soccer-themed gift, while supplies last. Very mysterious, Ghirardelli. 

When? Where?

Ghirardelli’s Waffle GOOOOAL Sundae drops today, June 11, which aligns with the kick-off of the games and the first Group A matches. As for where you can get them, here’s the rub: They’ll only be available at Ghirardelli stores in host cities. So, if you’re in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Hollywood, or New York City, you’re in luck. If not, you might have to watch from afar, much like many of us are with the World Cup ourselves. You win some (games), you lose some (games).