Award-Winning Gelato Shop Expanding To Morristown 

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A brand-new gelato shop, Guerriero Gelato, is opening up its fifth shop in the heart of Morristown, bringing its award-winning flavors and talented staff to the local community.

Guerriero Gelato, based in Caldwell, will open its fifth location at 64 South St., replacing the former Kilwins. Mike and Breanna Guerriero took over the flagship location of Guerriero Gelato in 2014 when it was known as Gelotti Ice Cream.

The new store is expected to open on Jan. 13, ahead of the long weekend.

Guerriero, who began working for the company in 2005, stated that in 2014 he was tasked with bringing new life to the Caldwell shop, which had hit a rough patch.

"We had doubled the sales in about nine months, and the investor who gave me the money to buy that shop came back to me and said, hey, it's doing so well, why don't we open up in Montclair," Guerriero said.

Since then, the company has experienced tremendous success, even competing in and winning the Gelato Festival North American Finals in 2019, ranking them as the number one gelato in America. "We went up against the top 12 chefs in North America, so Mexico, Canada and the United States. It's crazy. It's a great honor," Guerriero said.

Guerriero and his team were invited to Italy for an international competition the following year, where they were ranked sixth in the world. Guerriero claimed to be the only chef under 30 in the top 100 and the only American in the top 20.

The move to Morristown seemed like a natural trajectory for the company, according to Guerriero, who had recently moved to Morris County with his family. "It's been something that we've talked, we've spoken about for years, and now living in the Morris County area, we go to Morristown, you know, to eat and to hang out, and it just seems like a happening area… So we were just dying to come in."

Guerriero Gelato, in addition to its traditional Italian gelato flavors, also operates as a traditional ice cream parlor, serving a multitude of frozen treats. Menu favorites include ice cream cakes and miniature ice cream sandwiches made with freshly baked cookies.

The store menu rotates frequently, and new flavors are introduced on a regular basis. According to Guerriero, the Morristown store will have over 60 flavors available every day.

"We just try to gauge customer feedback. So every year we make what's called a Staples menu. So we'll issue one in February or March, and that'll be like the core 50 flavors that will keep throughout that whole year, and then the other 10 are going to be that rotating menu of flavors to kind of keep things interesting," Guerriero said.

The shop strives for the highest-quality ice cream, ensuring that all of its products are made by hand and have been created using a family recipe developed by them or a recipe obtained from the original owners.

"It's really like a labor of love that's being lost, and that's why we're kind of trying to revive it a little bit," Guerriero said.

To kick off their grand opening weekend, Guerriero's will be awarding the first 100 patrons a card to redeem for a free pint of ice cream or gelato at a future visit with any purchase.