March 15, 2024
Provided Image/Cloud Cups
Cloud Cups is opening its new flagship store in Kensington on Tuesday. It will offer 36 flavors of gelato and sorbet.
Cloud Cups, one of several dessert options in Fishtown, will debut its new flagship store in Kensington on Tuesday.
The store, at 3525 I St., will offer 36 gelato and sorbet flavors, grab-and-go options and merchandise, owner Galen Thomas said. The 3,300-square-foot-space also will include an event space and serve as Cloud Cups' production facility.
To celebrate its opening, Cloud Cups will serve free gelato from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Though Cloud Cups already had its production facility in the area, Thomas said an opportunity arose with his landlord to move into a bigger space that would allow him to open a second store. He said the store is an area that offers a lot of opportunity, noting the successes of nearby Càphê Roasters and Cantina La Martina.
"There's not really a lot of places in this area that offer any gelato or frozen desserts besides Mr. Softie," Thomas said. "So we wanted to bring something to the neighborhood that isn't already here."
Thomas plans to use the space to host events like a Create Your Own Flavor workshop, in which gelato lovers can create custom flavors and take home pints.
There's already a little buzz in the neighborhood, he said, noting that people have been trying the door.
"I've been here a lot more frequently now as we get ready to open up, making waffle cones," Thomas said. "So I guess they smell the waffle cones from the outside."
Cloud Cups began in 2018 as a CBD-infused gelato option and sold at stores across the country. In 2023, it opened its first store at the former Little Baby's Ice Cream location on Frankford Avenue. Thomas said that location has been closed for remodeling so that it matches the new Kensington store. It is getting new display cases and artwork.
Should the Kensington store turn into a success, Thomas said he hopes to add more locations, and is potentially looking at opening a store in Tampa, Florida next year. But in the meantime, he said he feels like he's trending in the right direction.
"We are looking to open up more stores, but we want to make sure we get this one opened on the right path," Thomas said. "We don't want to grow too fast."
The store initially will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1 to 8 p.m. Its operating hours will expand as the weather warms up, Thomas said.
Cloud Cups gelato also can be ordered nationwide, and pints will be available on DoorDash and UberEats.
