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There’s something special about gelato that makes the tastebuds of even hard-core ice cream devotees shout “yes please.”
Boutique ice cream shops abound locally (the Salt & Straw location that opened in Newport Beach in 2022 has been popular since day one), but there’s something satisfyingly decadent about gelato even though its lower in fat than regular ice cream.
Now locals can enjoy a gelato brand called Gelatissimo that opened on Balboa Island last month.
The Balboa Island shop is the first Gelatissimo to open in Southern California, although the brand has more than 65 locations around the world.
According to Gelatissimo CEO Braeden Lord, the brand has been eyeing the Orange County area as a dream destination for years.
“It was a natural choice thanks to its beach culture, warm climate, family demographic, youthful vibrance and domestic and international tourism,” said Lord. “We know locals and travelers will fall in love with the texture, flavor and the way the gelato looks, just like our Orange County master franchisees Rey and Sarah Maninang did.”
The Maninangs said the Gelatissimo franchise opportunity was initially attractive thanks to the proven model, and impossible to pass up once they tried the product.
“There was a lot of synergy: my wife’s family owned the number one ice cream brand in the UK for years, so she’s an expert in the field of frozen desserts, and we were looking for a formula-based business with a proven track record of success, and Gelatissimo fits the bill,” said Rey Maninang.
Famous for their collaborative gelato flavors with popular food and beverage brands like Hershey’s, Reese’s and Lindt, Gelatissimo celebrates their Balboa Island location opening with a locally-inspired choc-banana flavor. Other popular flavors include Mango Sorbet, Chunky New York Cheesecake and Wicked Double Choc Brownie.
Gelatissimo’s dedication to flavors has seen the brand win a number of awards at the World Dairy Championships. This year Gelatissimo swept First (Chocolate), Second (Boysenberry Swirl) and Third place (Hazelnut) after achieving the same coup in 2023 with Pistachio, Choc Mint and Espresso. They also took the top spot in 2022, with Salted Macadamia and Dulce de Leche.
In addition to gelato, Gelatissimo sells shakes, take-home pints and other goodies.
Gelatissimo is at 304 Marine Ave. on Balboa Island (they took over the Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt spot).
Visit www.gelatissimo.com/stores/balboa-island for more information.
