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A popular gelato spot that opened just a couple years ago has already shut its doors for good, quietly and without notice.
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Gelato Factory opened at 2205 Broadway in early 2024, and appears to have closed in just the last few days. The storefront at the Apthorp building on Broadway between 78th and 79th streets now sits empty — returning the commercial space to the same vacant state it was in for years before Gelato Factory moved in.The shop’s closure was first noted by residents on Reddit’s Upper West Side forum, where one user reported that Gelato Factory appeared to have “closed for good” and speculated that it may have been shut down by the city due to poor health inspection scores. Indeed, the NYC Department of Health’s restaurant inspection database shows that Gelato Factory’s most recent letter grade was a C — the lowest grade in the city’s rating system. Under NYC’s grading system, a C grade is issued to establishments that accumulate 28 or more violation points during a health inspection, indicating significant food safety issues. It is not confirmed whether the health grade played a direct role in the closure.
Gelato Factory opened in early 2024 in a space that had previously been home to Apthorp Pharmacy before that business relocated a block south in 2019. The shop was Gelato Factory’s second location, joining an existing outpost in New Jersey. At the time of its opening, the brightly decorated store was seen as a welcome addition to a stretch of Broadway that had been dealing with a string of vacant storefronts.
The shop offered a wide selection of creative gelato flavors made fresh daily, including popular options like Creme Brulee, Crunchy Pistachio, Ferrero Rocher and Lotus Biscoff. It also served crepes, milkshakes and soft drinks. Prices for gelato ranged from $6.99 to $10.99, with larger take-home containers available for groups and parties.
The closure means the Apthorp building storefront at 2205 Broadway is once again looking for a new tenant.
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