Whitestone’s newest eatery and the only one in the neighborhood specializing in freshly churned artisanal gelato is inviting the community to its grand opening on Saturday, May 18.
Chillato, a friendly neighborhood gelateria where customers can indulge in classic and innovative flavors that delight with each bite, will celebrate its official grand opening at 17-16 154th St. at 1 p.m. Assemblyman Edward Braunstein will preside over the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Festivities for the grand opening weekend will include raffles for free pints of gelato on opening day and a 10 percent discount off all purchases throughout the weekend.
Chillato is the brainchild of two families, Tony Liu and his wife, Linda, and Maria Chee and her husband, Jon Zefi, who met 10 years ago in northeastern Queens when their daughters were in grade school together. The concept for Chillato was fueled by their mutual passion for delicious, authentic gelato and their desire to have a local spot in their beloved neighborhood.
Since its soft opening last month, Chillato has quickly gained a reputation as the local go-to place for quality Italian ice cream.
“We wanted to establish a fun, hip place to in a tight knit community where its residents can gather to enjoy each other’s company over a good cup of gelato,” said Chee.
“Gelato puts a smile on everyone’s face and make families happy. We wanted to invite everyone in the community into our home,” said Liu.
Aside from offering classic Italian flavors, like nocciola (hazelnut), pistachio and stracciatella, Chillato also curates a menu of new and inventive flavors such as raspberry cheesecake, peanut butter and jelly, and lemon cookie.
Among their most sought after flavors are Ferrero Rocher, deep chocolate (for serious chocolate lovers), salted caramel, and almond roca. For those who have dietary constraints, Chillato offers dairy free sorbets such as watermelon, raspberry lychee, lemon, mango and passion fruit.
Among Chillato’s product offering is their custom gelato cakes and gelato pops that can be made from any of their 24 gelato flavors.
Customers can also host a unique birthday party at Chillato, such as Chef-For-A-Day, where participants can create and make their own gelato flavors. Chillato’s sizable retail footprint can accommodate large events such as baby showers, graduation parties and corporate outings.
A favorite among party customers is their open gelato bar where guests can experience the host’s specially selected menu of their favorite gelato flavors. Chillato’s newest menu addition is the Gelato Sandwich where they pay homage to the Sicilian classic: brioche with gelato. Customers can choose to sandwich their favorite gelato in between a brioche bun or a donut, and pair it with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Chillato is opened Sunday through Thursday from 1 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m.
To find out more about Chillato visit chillatoshop.com or connect on social media: @chillatoshopatnyc and @chillatoshop.
