bringing joy to others since 1984
A LOCAL TRADITION
In 1984, Peter Edmonds and his father, John, opened Gelati Celesti on West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, with a shared vision of bringing joy through the best ice cream and service. What started as one shop has grown into ten locations across Richmond and Hampton Roads—first under the ownership of family friends Steve and Kim Rosser, who purchased the business in 2010, and now led by their children, Suzy and Tom, as co-presidents since 2023.
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Bring joy to others by making the best ice cream possible scooped up with the best service.
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For 40 years, we've been scooping up joy and premium ice cream, staying true to our original mission. We continue to churn our ice cream in small batches using Italian equipment that minimizes air, making it uniquely flavorful, thick, and creamy. Our customers are like family, and we love creating delicious memories, one scoop at a time!
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MEET SUZY & TOM
Continuing the family tradition of scooping joy to our local communities.
Our history
1984
Our flagship West Broad shop was founded by father and son, Peter and John Edmonds, debuting with Chocolate Decadence, which remains a customer favorite to this day.
1990
At the request of local restaurateurs, we began selling ice cream to some of Richmond’s premier restaurants.
2010
Steve and Kim Rosser, long-time family friends of the Edmonds, purchase Gelati with a commitment to continuing the tradition of handmade, small-batch, premium ice cream.
2011
Our first central kitchen is established, setting the stage to bring more joy to RVA.
2013
The Gelati Celesti food truck, fondly named Celeste, hits the road, delivering scoops and smiles to events throughout Richmond.
2014
By popular demand, our third location opens in Short Pump.
2018
Our Grove Avenue shop opens. We also open a new, larger kitchen to support expansion, while continuing our commitment to handmade, small-batch, premium ice cream.
2019
Suzy Rosser re-joins Gelati Celesti to open our first Virginia Beach shop, serving freshly churned flavors over the southside in Hilltop.
2020
We open our Swift Creek shop, and Suzy Rosser joins the leadership team overseeing all retail locations
2021
We expand in RVA with the opening of our Mechanicsville shop and also open our second Virginia Beach location, Town Center.
2022
Tom Rosser joins Gelati Celesti overseeing business development. Our third Virginia Beach location opens in Chesapeake, bringing us to 10 joyful locations throughout RVA and VA Beach.
2023
Owners Steve and Kim Rosser pass the scoop to the next generation, naming Suzy and Tom as co-presidents. They maintain the same commitment to quality and community that began with the Edmonds in 1984
2012
We open our second location, scooping joy to our neighbors south of the river in Bon Air.
2024
We celebrate our 40th birthday with a 40-cent scoop day at all 10 neighborhood shops.
2017
We open our Scotts Addition shop, bringing our handcrafted ice cream to four distinct areas in RVA.
