our story
Vincenzo & Julianne
Born & raised in Ferrara, Italy, Vincenzo trained extensively with the best Italian gelato chefs & artisans, learning the art of crafting true artisan gelato as it was meant to be. He then opened Gemelli in 2014 with Julianne with the dream of finally bringing an authentic “Gelateria” to America. Vincenzo met Julianne (his now wife) back in 2008 in Milano, while she was studying abroad and he decided to follow his love here the next summer. Well, the rest is history! Julianne & Vincenzo have been running their own Café for over 10 years now, winning the most national & international gelato awards than any other local Gelateria and opening another location in Phoenixville PA in 2021.
Our mission and the commitment to our community
Our mission has always been to share the food culture and treasured desserts Vincenzo grew up with in Italy with their local community. They chose West Chester and then Phoenixville instead of a large city because they were looking for a smaller and welcoming area to call their home and connect with, similar to the place Vincenzo grew up back in Italy. We now know our customer’s names, we hire their children, we support local charities, we speak to the new generations in our local schools and University about better food and ingredient choices. We believe that is our responsibility as entrepreneurs to spark and drive positive change in our communities.
The Original Italian Gelato
It is with that commitment to local, real quality and tradition that I opened Gemelli. At Gemelli we craft seriously from scratch artisanal gelato and desserts using a combination of local, organic, seasonal and farm-fresh ingredients. All our gelato is made in house, fresh daily without colorants, powder mixes, preservatives, corn-syrups, pre-made flavorings or anything artificial. Read more about our Original Italian Gelato philosophy here.
We are lucky enough to be located in Pennsylvania, where we find the freshest local organic dairies, produce and cheeses. This is why we choose local, freshness and quality over a product that even if it comes from Italy, has been traveling for way too long.
Why the name “Gemelli”?
“Gemelli” in Italian means twins (or two things that pair well together) and the zodiac sign “Gemini”. We choose this name because it is Vincenzo’s zodiac sign, but most importantly because it embodies our vision of duality: the intersection between tradition & innovation, between gelato & dessert, between Italy & US, between life & fate.
Come in, relax and taste a slice of the real Italia!
A presto amici,
Vincenzo & Julianne & Matteo