The first Florida brick-and-mortar location of French chain Amorino Gelato is headed for downtown St. Pete.

Opening at 1246 Central Avenue in the EDGE District, Amorino serves its gelato via spatula, famously shaped into a flower — with the option to add a macaron to the center.

The 1,800-square-foot shop will front 1st Avenue South, directly across from Tropicana Field, inside a 110-year-old building that will also house Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine.

The newly renovated building is part of the EDGE Collective, a mixed use development that will also include a 20-story tower with 360 apartments and 24,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

“We are excited to open our first Florida gelato shop in St. Petersburg,” said local franchisee Germán Rodríguez Daza in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “Amorino Gelato is one of the most recognizable artisanal gelato brands in Europe.”

Founded in 2002 by childhood best friends Paolo Benassi and Cristiano Sereni, Amorino Gelato began as a small operation in Paris, France before expanding into a franchise with more than 250 locations across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Mexico.

In 2021, Daza, a longtime friend of the founders, launched an Amorino Gelato kiosk at Tampa International Plaza. After finding success in Tampa, Daza set his sights on opening a full cafe in downtown St. Pete.

The St. Pete shop will offer over 27 flavors of gelato and sorbet, along with crepes, Belgian waffles, gelato-stuffed macarons, gelato cakes, and coffee made with beans from the Italian coffee brand Lavazza.

All of Amorino’s gelato products are gluten-free and made without preservatives, artificial flavors, and flavor enhancers. Additionally, all of Amorino’s sorbet is vegan.

The brand’s best-selling flavors include chocolate and pistachio, but in Tampa, many customers favor fruity varieties like blueberry cheesecake—made with cream cheese, fresh whole milk, and blueberries in syrup—as well as passion fruit sorbet. Other flavors include orange blossom cream, tiramisu, salted butter caramel, and dulce de leche.

Amorino Gelato also offers seasonal and limited-edition flavors, such as yuzu, calamansi, bergamot, sudashi, and almond.

Daza explained that the St. Pete location will replicate the experience of enjoying gelato in a European-style café, with both indoor seating and a covered outdoor dining area adjacent to the neighboring Moxy Hotel’s future garden space.

The team is currently in the design phase, with construction expected to begin soon. Daza is targeting a summer opening.

The shop is expected to operate daily from 10 a.m. through late evening, depending on demand.

Follow Amorino Gelato on Facebook and Instagram for updates on new offerings and shop openings.