Zio Matto Gelato brings its authentic Italian gelato to Downtown Memphis

Mamma mia! You don’t need to travel to Italy to have authentic Italian gelato.

Zio Matto Gelato now has a gelateria (Italian for “gelato shop”) in Downtown Memphis. The shop opens April 18 at 545 S. Main St. in Central Station Hotel.

The gelato company —which makes small-batch, hand-crafted gelato right here in Memphis — launched in 2021. The gelato is sold at local grocery stores, restaurants and farmers markets, but a brick-and-mortar shop was always a goal for the owners.

Zio Matto Gelato founder and chef Matteo Servente makes authentic Italian gelato using from-scratch techniques imported straight from Italy.

The new gelato shop is a light-filled spot with its entrance on the GE Patterson side of the South Main Arts District hotel, and is sure to be a popular destination for Memphians looking for a sweet treat.

"We're thrilled to welcome Zio Matto Gelato to the Central Station property just in time for warmer weather and outdoor activities season. We take pride in ensuring our property has top-notch food and beverage offerings like Zio Matto for our guests and the Memphis community alike, in addition to consistently providing fresh, fun entertainment options for all to enjoy,” said Troy Dixon, general manager of Central Station Hotel. “We just kicked off our seasonal outdoor concert series 'Live at the Tracks' and having Zio Matto as a neighbor to complement upcoming property programming is going to be a real treat for the public.”

On the menu: Gelato and much more

Servente said the 1,100-square-foot shop will offer 14 different flavors. “We will have eight to 10 staples, with four or five on rotation.”

Flavors include the traditional offerings you will find at a gelato shop in Rome: Chocolate, Tiramisu, Hazelnut, Pistachio and Stracciatella. Sorbets in flavors like Mango and Blueberry will also be offered.

Gelato can be ordered by the cup or cone, and also hand-packed in larger containers for those wanting to take a pint home.

Grab-and-go treats like “stecco” (chocolate-covered gelato popsicles) and gelato macaron sandwiches are also available. “Nuha [Abuduhair] at 17 Berkshire is making the oversized macaron shells for us,” said Servente, adding they are available in three flavors: chocolate, pistachio and strawberry.

Gelato cakes will be available for special occasions, with one often in the grab-and-go case. “Order ahead if you want to make sure to get one,” Servente said.

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Also on the menu will be affogatos made with your choice of espresso or hot chocolate.

For those not in the mood for gelato, slices of Servente’s tiramisu will be offered.

From Italy to Memphis

When Servente moved to Memphis from Torino, Italy, for his film career, he looked for foods cooked the way they were made back home. Not being able to find what he was looking for, he developed a passion to prepare food for himself and his friends. As time went on, this filmmaker decided that there could be a business opportunity in the kitchen.

“I first thought pizza or pasta could have been a good import and business idea,” he said. “But then I settled on gelato because it was something I couldn’t really find here.”

Servente found a gelato maker in Italy to teach him how to make gelato by hand. He decided this old-fashioned way to make gelato in small batches made for a creamier, higher-quality gelato.

Ryan Watt is a co-owner of Zio Matto. Servente had known Watt for years through Watt’s role as the former executive director of Indie Memphis. “One taste of his chocolate and pistachio gelato and I was hooked,” said Watt, explaining this business was the perfect opportunity for him to keep roots in Memphis when he moved to Nashville for his wife’s job. Today, Watt travels to Memphis often to help with production, and he manages distribution in Nashville.

And curious about the name? Zio Matto translates to Crazy Uncle!

“When my niece was little, she could not pronounce my name correctly,” Servente said. “She was calling me Matto (which in Italian means crazy). Me being her uncle (Zio in Italian).”

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Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

Zio Matto Gelato

Where: Central Station Hotel, 545 S. Main St., Suite 110 (enter on GE Patterson)

Hours: Noon-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday

Online: ziomatto.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Zio Matto Gelato opens a gelato shop in Memphis' Central Station Hotel