Cups scooped with a spatula look a lot better to me, if you know what you are doing.
This is an old debate, even in Italy.
Yes, believe it or not, certain areas of Italy are actually more used to scoop with an ice cream scooper rather than a spatula or spade. Especially in the north of the country and even in one of the birthplace of gelato like the “Zoldo valley” or “Cadore” in the Alps ice cream scoopers are very common, but overall I think the vast majority of gelato shops normally use spatulas.
We use a mix of both: we use spatulas in the display case for all cups and cones, but we use scoopers (that are cleaned and sanitized after each used - so we have a lot of them) for anything that requires easy portioning and ball shaped gelato: like sundaes, affogati, cookie sandwiches, milkshakes and so on. If I could I would probably use them for cones as well, but for the cups and for “pinting” (yes in USA pints are the default to-go containers) the spatulas are much much better!
Also if you are outside of Italy, spatulas might help you look more Italian and authentic because many people don't know that scoopers are popular even in Italy.
Ultimately this decision is yours to make, but here are some pros & cons:
Spatulas/Spades:
These are widely used in Italy and around the world especially to differentiate ice cream from gelato.
They make your life easier if you need/know how to portion correctly and if you want to offer multiple flavors without increasing the sizes too much.
Much more flexible.
You can leave them in the display case so there is no need for a dip well like for ice cream scoopers and they fit in the pan easier.
Easier to clean and less messy.
They hard to use on cones and require extensive training and practice.
Gelato must be at the perfect serving temperature or the spatula could bend and break.
Ice Cream Scoopers:
More used for ice cream, to some might cheapen your gelato.
Use different sizes or colors for different uses/items so train is pretty simple.
Portion control and better consistency .
Much easier to use for sundaes, milkshakes, affogato, sandwitches...anything that requires a ball shape size.
Not as easy to store in the display case, could require dip well and water contact is terrible for frozen desserts, creating ice crystals. Must be dried very well before scooping if coming from the dip well.
Harder to clean without a dishwasher.
What’s your view on these tools?
They are very important in your gelato shop so make sure to decide what’s best for you and your business.
Hopefully this was helpful & valuable amici!
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A presto amici!
Vincenzo