Gelati Celesti opened near Libbie and Grove Avenues last week. (Mike Platania)
A West End storefront has completed its transformation from one ice cream shop to another.
Gelati Celesti opened last week at 5808 Grove Ave., which was previously home to Boyer’s Ice Cream and Coffee.
Gelati Celesti acquired Boyer’s last month for an undisclosed sum and then spent 12 days renovating the space before reopening.
“The store held up beautifully over the first weekend,” said Gelati Celesti owner Steve Rosser. “It’s such a dramatic change from what it looked like before.”
The store has over 30 flavors of ice cream by the scoop and pint, as well as cakes.
The Grove shop is Gelati Celesti’s fifth, joining outposts in Scott’s Addition, Stony Point Shopping Center, the Corner at Short Pump and the original store at 8906 W. Broad St. Gelati Celesti also has a food truck and wholesales to about 35 restaurants in town.
Gelati Celesti purchased Boyer’s Ice Cream and Coffee in September and converted the space in less than two weeks. (Mike Platania)
Rosser, who purchased the business with wife Kim in 2010, said they’re finalizing a lease for a shop in Virginia Beach, which would be their first outside the Richmond region.
“We’ll learn a lot about opening up in a new market, and if we are successful down there, I’m confident we could go to a lot of markets,” Rosser said. “Northern Virginia is a logical next step for us after Virginia Beach, then probably North Carolina.”
But he said the company doesn’t want to get too far ahead of itself.
“We’ve been adding a store about every year, year and a half,” Rosser said. “We’re growing very nicely. It’s not super aggressive growth by any means. It’s a conservative growth plan that allows us to not get in over our heads.”
Gelati Celesti shares its new Grove Avenue building with local brokerage Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville, and The Grove shopping center itself was listed for sale earlier this year for $2.9 million.
Gelati Celesti opened near Libbie and Grove Avenues last week. (Mike Platania)
A West End storefront has completed its transformation from one ice cream shop to another.
Gelati Celesti opened last week at 5808 Grove Ave., which was previously home to Boyer’s Ice Cream and Coffee.
Gelati Celesti acquired Boyer’s last month for an undisclosed sum and then spent 12 days renovating the space before reopening.
“The store held up beautifully over the first weekend,” said Gelati Celesti owner Steve Rosser. “It’s such a dramatic change from what it looked like before.”
The store has over 30 flavors of ice cream by the scoop and pint, as well as cakes.
The Grove shop is Gelati Celesti’s fifth, joining outposts in Scott’s Addition, Stony Point Shopping Center, the Corner at Short Pump and the original store at 8906 W. Broad St. Gelati Celesti also has a food truck and wholesales to about 35 restaurants in town.
Gelati Celesti purchased Boyer’s Ice Cream and Coffee in September and converted the space in less than two weeks. (Mike Platania)
Rosser, who purchased the business with wife Kim in 2010, said they’re finalizing a lease for a shop in Virginia Beach, which would be their first outside the Richmond region.
“We’ll learn a lot about opening up in a new market, and if we are successful down there, I’m confident we could go to a lot of markets,” Rosser said. “Northern Virginia is a logical next step for us after Virginia Beach, then probably North Carolina.”
But he said the company doesn’t want to get too far ahead of itself.
“We’ve been adding a store about every year, year and a half,” Rosser said. “We’re growing very nicely. It’s not super aggressive growth by any means. It’s a conservative growth plan that allows us to not get in over our heads.”
Gelati Celesti shares its new Grove Avenue building with local brokerage Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville, and The Grove shopping center itself was listed for sale earlier this year for $2.9 million.