Cindy Richmond’s team is aiming to transport customers to the streets of Sicily with their handcrafted treats made with fresh ingredients.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you’re a fan of the beloved Mazzaro’s Italian Market, you’re going to want to try the family’s new gelato shop that aims to transport you right to the streets of Sicily.
The market is expanding with an authentic Sicilian gelato and granita shop called Zagara, which will be housed in its kitchenware store and tea shop, Casa Di Mazzaro, on 22nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg.
Unlike other gelato shops in the Tampa Bay area, this one will feature traditional fruita granita and Sicilian-style brioche buns.
Cindy Richmond, the owner, said she was inspired to create this venture by her trip to Italy in 2024, where she saw how local shops made their treats.
“They do a few things differently in Sicily,” she said. “It’s much different than just having a gelato store.”
Gelato is made by a slower churning process with less air and fat than traditional ice cream, creating a softer and denser texture.
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert that combines sugar, water and fruit juice and is known for its crunchy texture. Richmond described it as almost like an Italian ice, but it’s more slushy.
Finally, you can pair either of those treats with a Sicilian brioche, which is a sweet, soft, doughy pastry.
“The Sicilian way is built around these brioche buns and putting it all together, whether you eat it with the granita or you eat it with the gelato,” Richmond said.
The bun is meant to be dipped into granita, or customers can have gelato inside the bun, almost like a sandwich. Zagara staff will cut a bun, put gelato in it and seal it together using a specially designed panini press.
“Everything is handmade here, and a lot of the stuff that we’re using is either fresh, local or from Italy,” Richmond said.
She said ingredients such as the pistachio paste, hazelnut pastes and the cones will be from Italy. The rest, such as fruit for the granita, will be sourced locally.
There will be 12 gelato flavors, including pistachio, hazelnut, stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate), tiramisu, Dubai chocolate, Dubai biscoff and cheesecake. The granita flavors such as strawberry, lemon basil, melon and coffee.
Zagara will be doing a soft opening throughout August but will have its grand opening Sept. 3. The hours will be Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PHOTOS: New gelato shop coming to St. Petersburg
Dining and Cooking