Ben Spangler | Source | Co-owner at Bebe Zito

Ben has worked in the culinary world for 15+ years and first became notable in the culinary world as the pastry chef at Zelo. He was the Executive Chef at both Mercy and Farm Table and the opening chef for Rustica Cookies + Cream and Milkjam, where he crafted many of their still signature flavors. Ben has also competed on the Food Network, appearing on both“Chopped” and “King of Cones,” where he was runner-up to one of the industry’s most accomplished ice cream artisans while Ben was still very early in his ice cream career.

Ben is a wellspring of food knowledge, developed from an extreme drive to learn as much as possible. This encyclopedia-like expertise has been applied to ice cream, burgers, chicken, and pizza recipes. He and his wife, Gabriella Grant-Spangler, are the dynamic duo behind Bebe Zito and were married on the steps outside the original South Minneapolis storefront.