Gelato Messina Debuts in New York with Softville, an Ice Cream and Art Concept

A first U.S. store with its own format

Gelato Messina opened Softville on October 1, 2026, its first U.S. store, at 137 Orchard Street on New York’s Lower East Side. The space is a joint venture with Studio Jeremyville, the brand’s creative collaborator for more than two decades.

The opening marks the Australian company’s U.S. debut. It chose to introduce its offering in a format distinct from a traditional ice cream shop: Softville brings together soft serve, desserts, and arts activities under one roof. Coverage places the opening within Messina’s international expansion; no dates for additional U.S. stores have been announced in these reports.

Soft serve made with fresh milk

The initial menu includes five sundaes, among them Pavlova and Dulce with Churros, as well as rotating specialties developed by pastry chef Eva Wintersteen. Customers can also customize their desserts with sauces, crunchy ingredients, and other toppings. Dairy-free options are available.

Unlike the prepared mixes commonly used for this type of product, Softville’s soft serve is made from scratch with fresh milk. Inside Retail’s report specifies that it comes from upstate New York; Forbes identifies Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, in the Hudson Valley, as the supplier. The offering adapts techniques Messina developed for its gelato to a machine-based format.

A partnership combining design and activities

The store brings together artworks and installations with ceramics and design objects. It also hosts the Softville Creative Club, with activities such as workshops and drawing meetups. The partnership thus turns a long-standing creative relationship into a joint commercial venture, rather than just a visual collaboration for the store.

Messina founder Nick Palumbo told Forbes that the company wanted to avoid opening “just another dessert shop.” Megan Mair, creative director and co-founder of Studio Jeremyville, described the Orchard Street location as a good fit for the Lower East Side’s creative energy. These are assessments from the company’s representatives; the scope of the offering and its commercial reception in New York remain to be seen.

The Australian company opened its first location in Sydney in 2002 and, according to Inside Retail, has around 30 stores in Australia. The New York opening coincides with its expansion into other markets, including Hong Kong and Singapore, and with announced plans for Dubai and Thailand. For now, Softville is its first U.S. operation and a test of a format that brings together food service, design, and cultural programming.