Zagara, a new Sicilian-style gelato and granita shop, is opening on 22nd Street in St. pete | st. pete rising

The family behind St. Petersburg’s iconic Mazzaro’s Italian Market is about to sweeten the city once again.

This August, they’ll debut a new Sicilian-style gelato and granita shop called Zagara, located just steps away from their beloved market on 22nd Avenue North.

Named after the Italian word for “orange blossom,” Zagara will be housed across the street from Mazzaro’s at 3001 22nd Avenue North, inside the same building as Casa di Mazzaro, a specialty kitchenware store and tea shop.

“We visited Sicily last year and were inspired by the old-world markets, their style of gelato, and wanted to introduce it to St. Pete,” said Cindy Richmond, owner of Casa di Mazzaro and sister of Mazzaro’s owner, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We discontinued our cooking classes at Casa di Mazzaro in October to replace the kitchen space with this new concept.”

Zagara will be located next to Mazzaro’s, in a building that also houses Casa di Mazzaro | st. pete rising

Unlike ice cream, gelato is made with whole milk and churned slower, resulting in a denser, creamier texture.

In addition to gelato, Zagara will also serve granita, a refreshing Sicilian treat that’s hard to find locally.

“There are gelato shops in St. Pete and Tampa and everywhere else, but we will also serve granita,” Richmond said.

Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water, and flavorings like fruit juice or coffee. It’s churned continuously to achieve a texture that’s somewhere between slush and sorbet.

Customers will be able to buy gelato and granita by the pint and, eventually, order custom gelato cakes | St. pete rising

In Sicily, granita is typically eaten in the morning with a brioscia, a soft, citrus-scented brioche bun. Traditionally, the brioche is served on the side and sometimes used to scoop up the granita.

At Zagara, customers can enjoy it the classic way or have the bun sliced, filled with granita, and pressed like a panini.

All gelato, granita, and brioche buns will be made in-house.

Zagara will open with granita flavors like lemon basil, coffee, melon, and mixed berry, with more varieties introduced in the future.

As for the gelato, expect flavors like Dubai chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut, tiramisu, coconut, salted caramel cheesecake, amaretto cherry, limoncello, and a decadent swirl of Nutella and vanilla.

In addition to gelato, Zagara will also serve granita, a refreshing Sicilian treat that’s hard to find locally | st. pete rising

Customers will also be able to buy gelato and granita by the pint and, eventually, order custom gelato cakes.

Other offerings include classic Italian affogato (gelato with a shot of espresso), cremito (a frozen coffee drink), and several espresso-based drinks.

Zagara is expected to debut in August and will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed Sundays.

Follow Zagara on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new flavors.