Dolci Gelati Set to Open First Virginia Location This Week in Alexandria

The Old Town Alexandria Dolci Gelati is set to open Saturday, at 107 N. Fairfax St., according to the company.

Customers who stop by the store Saturday wearing a Halloween costume will definitely get a treat: a free small gelato.

This will be the first Virginia location for Dolci Gelati, which already has shops in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood and in Takoma Park, Md. In addition to its two locations, the company also has a food truck.

The cafe is expected to dish up gelato, shaved ice granitas, pastries, coffee and bottled drinks. The eatery will have seating for about 15 to 20 people. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

The location, just across the street from Market Square, was formerly home to another sweet business: Candi’s Candies which reportedly closed in January.

Dolci Gelati was started in Washington DC in 2006, by pastry chef Gianluigi Dellaccio. Gianluigi uses an authentic Italian recipe that has been in his family for generations but mixes in local ingredients and exotic flavors to create a modern twist to a traditional Italian favorite, according to the company Web site.

Eric Roper of Wahoo Food Group is the owner of the new location coming to Alexandria.

The gelato will be coming straight from Dellaccio’s kitchen in DC:

“Whether it is the richest Sicilian pistachios, Hazelnuts from Turin, chocolate from Ecuador or juicy local peaches and strawberries, Chef Gianluigi crafts his recipes to create a product that is unlike any other,” the company notes.