For this week’s “Business Spotlight” we sat down with Vincenzo Tettamanti, owner of Gemelli Artisanal Gelato & Dessert Café, which is located at 12 West Market Street!

 

1. Tell me about your store and any particular things you believe make it unique.

Gemelli opened its doors in 2014 with a mission to bring a true piece of Italy to West Chester and share my favorite desserts with the community. At Gemelli, we offer desserts & gelato flavors that you can actually find in Italy right now. It’s a more modern, refined, and truly artisanal approach. To me, working from scratch is not just a trend. Food is part of my identity, and I am honoring the way I grew up in Italy.

It’s about the whole process – selecting the right ingredients, mixing them carefully to create specific flavor profiles, and obsessing over measurements to make sure the gelato recipe is perfect. When I craft my gelato, I feel the responsibility of bringing you an authentic piece of Italy, something I take very seriously. That’s why our process is completely from scratch and most of our raw ingredients are processed or handcrafted right in our kitchen. We don’t use artificial flavorings, colorants, powder mixes, syrups, or pre-made anything, and no ice cream or gelato shop in the area works the way we do.

 

2. What services or products do you offer?

At Gemelli, we offer truly artisanal and made from scratch gelato and Italian desserts alongside handcrafted gourmet coffee drinks, loose leaf organic teas, and our signature hot chocolates all made to order. We have plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor (weather permitting) to offer an upscale and relaxing European café environment.

 

3. How long have you been in business?

We opened Gemelli in West Chester in 2014, so we will be celebrating our 8th year this fall!

 

4. What do you love most about being located in West Chester?

We chose West Chester instead of a large city because we were looking for a smaller, welcoming area to call home and connect with, similar to the place I grew up back in Italy. We now know our customers’ names, we hire their children, we support local charities, and we speak to the new generations in our local schools and universities about better food and ingredient choices. We believe that is our responsibility as entrepreneurs to spark and drive positive change in our communities.

Also, in Italy, we really don’t have many malls or strip malls. Our businesses are located downtown in the piazza! West Cheater reminded me of a charming Italian town, where people walk around, shop, and dine close to home. Plus, the history and charm of the town make me miss Italy a little less.

 

5. What can you tell me about the culture or atmosphere of your store?

We designed Gemelli with the “café you can find in an Italian piazza” mindset: warm and inviting, but also modern and clean, with plenty of light and comfortable seating (both outside & inside). We want our guests to enjoy and indulge in the experience, bring their loved ones along to chat, and treat themselves to amazing desserts.

 

6. Is there anything else you would like to share about your store?

Our farm-fresh gelato is obviously the star of the show, especially flavors such as caramel with Himalayan sea salt, fresh mascarpone & Nutella, local goat cheese and raspberry jam, Madagascar vanilla (made with hand-scraped, real vanilla beans), and many more. Fun fact – all our nut flavors (like our Oregon hazelnuts or California organic pistachios) are roasted in-house and transformed into nut butter in our kitchen with a stone grinder. It’s a pretty cool process!

We are also famous for our Italian desserts, especially our Tiramisu, which is my family recipe and made from only a few fresh and high-quality ingredients (without fillers or heavy cream).

Follow Gemelli on social media @gemelligelato to see all the seasonal flavors and learn about our community events, giveaways, and fundraising!