Gelati Celesti

What Gelati Celesti does

Gelati Celesti is a family-owned artisan ice cream producer and retailer operating 11 neighborhood shops across the Richmond and Hampton Roads metros in Virginia. Founded in 1984 by Peter Edmonds and his father, the company was acquired in 2010 by family friends Steve and Kim Rosser and transitioned in 2023 to the next generation, with Suzy and Tom Rosser serving as co-presidents. The brand has operated continuously for over 40 years and is explicitly identified as Virginia-made.

The company's core product is handcrafted, small-batch ice cream churned on proprietary Italian equipment that minimizes air overrun to produce a thick, creamy texture marketed as 'super-premium'. All production occurs at a centralized Richmond kitchen (first opened 2011, replaced by a larger facility in 2018), with a catalog of 24 house favorites and 80+ rotating flavors, plus line-extended ice cream cakes, ice cream pies, and gift cards. Distribution runs through five channels: own retail shops (operating 12pm-10pm daily), B2C online ordering with third-party delivery, catering and event boxes (5oz cups at $5 with a 20-cup minimum), wholesale 6-quart tubs to local restaurants (3-tub minimum, 24-hour lead time), and a mobile food truck named 'Celeste'.

The business model is fundamentally retail-anchored: walk-in consumer purchases are the dominant revenue stream with no disclosed enterprise or platform contracts. Marketing is community-led via Instagram, Facebook, local news earned media, a 5-points-per-dollar rewards email program, and a Spirit Nights fundraising program that has hosted 100+ events and donated 20% of sales to schools and community organizations. There is no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity; the company remains a privately held Virginia LLC.

Name

Gelati Celesti

Legal name

Gelati Celesti, LLC

Website

https://gelatiicecream.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Gelati Celesti is a family-owned artisan ice cream company operating 11 neighborhood shops across Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia. Founded in 1984, it produces small-batch handcrafted ice cream using proprietary Italian equipment for retail, wholesale, catering, and online sale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Ice Cream

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gelato Manufacturing (AFAHAEAD), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Artisan ice cream
• Handcrafted ice cream
• Ice cream cakes
• Wholesale ice cream
• Ice cream catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Ice Cream Sales: Direct retail sales of handcrafted ice cream through 11 neighborhood shops. Customers purchase scoops, pints, and cones at shop locations.
2. Catering & Events: Catering services providing pre-scooped ice cream cups for events, meetings, and celebrations. Delivery available in Richmond metro area for $20 fee.
3. Wholesale B2B: Wholesale distribution of 6-quart ice cream tubs to local restaurants and businesses with a 3-tub minimum and 24-hour lead time.
4. Gift Cards: Digital and traditional gift cards sold in-store and online for ice cream purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gelati Celesti produces and sells small-batch, handcrafted ice cream churned on special Italian equipment that minimizes air content for a thick, creamy texture. The company operates 11 neighborhood retail shops across Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia, complemented by online ordering, catering, wholesale distribution to restaurants, ice cream cakes, ice cream pies, and gift cards.

Product overview

Gelati Celesti is a family-owned artisan ice cream company operating 12 neighborhood shops across Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia. Founded in 1984, the company produces small-batch, handcrafted ice cream using Italian equipment that minimizes air content for a uniquely creamy texture. The product portfolio centers on its core ice cream offering (30+ daily flavors including 20+ house favorites and rotating seasonal specials), complemented by Ice Cream Cakes (custom-layered desserts in two sizes), Ice Cream Pies (five signature varieties), and Gift Cards. Supporting services include a Rewards loyalty program (earning 5 points per dollar), Catering & Events (pre-scooped party boxes), Spirit Nights (20% fundraising events for community organizations), Wholesale bulk sales to businesses, the Celeste ice cream food truck for events, and direct Online Ordering for pickup and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handcrafted Ice Cream Small-batch, artisan ice cream churned on special Italian equipment that minimizes air overrun, creating a uniquely thick and creamy texture. Available in 30+ daily flavors including 20+ house favorites and rotating seasonal specials, with dairy-free, gluten-free, and Kosher options.
• Ice Cream Cakes Layered ice cream desserts available in 9-inch (serves 12-16) and 6-inch (serves 6-8) round sizes. Custom-made with up to three ice cream flavors, hand-decorated, and available for 24-hour advance ordering.
• Ice Cream Pies Signature ice cream pies available in five house favorites (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mud Pie, Cookies & Cream, Birthday Cake, Turtle) for immediate pickup or custom-made to order.
• Gift Cards Digital and traditional gift cards available for purchase in-store and online, allowing customers to share ice cream with friends and family.
• Catering & Events Ice cream party boxes with pre-scooped servings in 5 oz cups (20 cup minimum at $5.00 per cup) available for delivery in Richmond Metro area or pickup in Hampton Roads. Includes spoons, napkins, and serving boxes.
• Wholesale Program Bulk ice cream sales to restaurants and businesses, offering 6-quart tubs with a 3-tub minimum. Features 24 house favorites and 80+ rotating flavors with 24-hour lead time. Free pickup in Richmond and Hampton Roads, or $15 delivery in Richmond metro area.
• Celeste Ice Cream Truck Food truck available for public and corporate events, delivering scoops and smiles throughout Richmond.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 Spirit Nights hosted annually across Richmond and Hampton Roads
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Schools and Community OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing community giving partnerships with local schools and organizations through Spirit Nights (20% of sales donated back), seasonal give-backs creating special flavors for causes like pediatric cancer research, and direct donation requests. Focus on education, families, and youth well-being.
• Virginia AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration creating a special 'Shellebration Cake' flavor celebrating the Virginia Aquarium's 40th anniversary. Limited-time specialty flavor created for the partnership.
• Science Museum of VirginiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership creating 'Choco Sloth' flavor tied to the Science Museum's sloth exhibit. Limited-time flavor celebrating the museum's educational programming.
• Richmond Ed FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting Richmond Ed Fund's 'Give 804' initiative to support literacy and public education in the community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves20 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium artisan ice cream brand operating scoop shops nationwide with small-batch, direct-trade ingredient sourcing. Closest comparable in product positioning (super-premium, chef-driven flavors) and retail-shop-led go-to-market.
• Salt & Straw Ice Cream: Small-batch, handcrafted premium ice cream company with a multi-shop retail model and adventurous rotating flavor program. Directly comparable on artisanal production, flavor breadth, and experiential scoop-shop retail.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: Premium ice cream brand with company-owned scoop shops and broad retail grocery distribution. Comparable premium positioning and dual-shop-plus-wholesale model; serves as a useful benchmark for national scaling of an artisanal brand.
• Graeter's Ice Cream: Family-owned premium ice cream maker and scoop-shop operator with a strong regional footprint and wholesale/grocery distribution. Highly comparable as a multi-generational, family-led premium ice cream business with retail and wholesale channels.
• Kilwins: Specialty ice cream and chocolate franchise with a neighborhood shop model, fudge and confectionery add-ons, and a community-rooted brand. Comparable shop-led retail format and small-batch dessert positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Mass-market premium ice cream brand owned by Unilever with extensive scoop shops, grocery distribution, and a strong values-driven brand. Comparable as a premium-ice-cream operator with retail, catering, and wholesale channels, though at vastly larger scale.
• Häagen-Dazs: Iconic super-premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé with both scoop shops and global grocery distribution. Sets the price/quality benchmark that artisanal players like Gelati Celesti position against.
• Blue Bell Creameries: Large regional ice cream manufacturer and retailer serving the southern U.S. from Texas. Comparable as a vertically integrated producer with strong regional retail/grocery presence, though at significantly larger scale.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Franchised ice cream chain known for mix-in customization on a frozen stone. Comparable scoop-shop retail and event/catering offerings, though franchise model and lower price point differ.
• Baskin-Robbins: World's largest specialty ice cream chain with 31-flavor positioning and broad franchise footprint. Relevant as the dominant mainstream competitor for ice cream shop visits and impulse occasions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gelaticelestiicecream
• Instagraminstagram.com/gelati_celesti
• Xx.com/GelatiCelesti
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gelati-celesti

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gelati Celesti