When 25-year-old Rino Bernardi opened his first ice cream parlor in a garage in Ochsenhausen in 1978, no one would have thought it possible that a true ice cream empire would one day emerge. With a mixture of Italian charm and Swabian diligence, the charismatic businessman and his wife Gaby developed what was initially an insider tip into one of the leading ice cream parlors in the region. A welcome guest from the very beginning was music publisher and composer Siegfried Rundel. Bernardi's sweet delicacies have always been worth a trip to Ochsenhausen for the epicurean from Rot an der Rot. However, the two gentlemen not only connected the passion and love for their respective professions. The real “icebreaker” that started a deep friendship that lasted decades was probably their shared enthusiasm for sports. While Bernardi is primarily a fan of cycling and motorcycling, Siegfried Rundel devoted himself intensively to soccer. His two sons Thomas and Stefan were also passionate soccer players. The two received active support in their sporting development from Mr. Rundel in the form of countless invitations to Rino's Gelateria. Of course, this invitation was not just for the sons themselves, but – much to the delight of everyone involved – always for the entire youth team!
In addition to its headquarters, Bernardi and his family run four other branches, all of which offer over 40 types of ice cream. However, the true "Ice Palace" is and remains the shop in Ochsenhausen, whose absolute specialty, which opened in 2009, is Europe's first "Ice Cream Drive-In".
In 2022, Signor Bernardi could proudly look back on an impressive career and also celebrate his 70th birthday. Reason enough for the composer Timo Dellweg to erect a musical memorial to the palace owner. In doing so, he created a march in a sensitive and at the same time impressive way, which in its color and variety should come close to Bernardi's impressive ice cream menue.