Gelati Celesti

When Steve Rosser was contemplating his next career move many years ago, he never envisioned a retail operation. In many ways, his company fell into his lap. Word had spread around Richmond that Steve was interested in purchasing a small business, and the owner of Gelati Celesti reached out to him. That fated introduction led to Steve and his wife Kim purchasing Gelati Celesti in 2010. 

At that time, it was a one-store operation with nine employees and the ice cream was made in the back of the store. The Rossers believed in the product and the community support that Gelati Celesti had built in the previous 25+ years, so they were confident they could expand the business. Their instincts were right. Gelati Celesti has since grown to 10 stores, 275 employees, a food truck, catering options, and a large facility dedicated to making their ice cream, with more growth on the horizon. Steve and Kim’s two grown children have also taken on leadership roles at the business, with their daughter Suzy running day-to-day operations in Virginia Beach and their son Tom doing the same in Richmond.  

Gelati Celesti strives daily to accomplish its mission “to provide a moment of pure joy with the very best ice cream and the very best service.” How do they do that? According to Steve, they make “the very best ice cream” because of their proprietary production process and use of superior ingredients.

All the ice cream is churned in small batches on special Italian equipment. Also, when making the ice cream, they minimize the air that’s whipped into it. Steve says, “The result is creamier and denser, with a much more pleasing feel in the mouth than regular ice cream. That’s why people like it so much!” Gelati Celesti enjoys using locally sourced ingredients when possible, including Richmond’s own Blanchard’s Coffee and Ukrop’s rainbow cookies.    

They achieve “the very best service” goal by hiring brand ambassadors who believe in the product, care about their community, and are committed to the mission. Steve says, “We are very proud of our team. Together we foster a culture of kindness and joy – and also philanthropy.” Gelati Celesti regularly hosts “Spirit Nights” for local schools, where they donate a portion of sales to the schools.  

Gelati Celesti first connected with TowneBank in 2023 when they made the decision to purchase the building where they make their ice cream. Steve says Curt Straub, senior vice president and commercial banker, and Kim Epps, senior relationship specialist, made the purchase such a smooth process. “We will always be grateful to TowneBank for making the transaction so easy.” Steve and his team truly appreciate the wonderful mix of professionalism and personalism that TowneBank offers. Because of this experience, Gelati Celesti has opened other accounts with TowneBank.

For more information and a mouth-watering menu, visit GelatiIceCream.com.