Splendora's changes hands
Splendora's on the Downtown Mall.
PHOTO BY STAFF
Splendora’s Gelato Caf©, which has been thrilling Downtown Mall mavens with its big city design and exotic Italian gelatos and coffees since 2004, has changed ownership.
Like Bodo’s founder Brian Fox, original owners Fax and Andrea Ayres appear to have used the Willy Wonka method of passing things on, handing the golden key over to a former counter girl, Patricia Ross, a UVA grad who started in 2005 and has been in charge of making the gelato and running the place since last year.
We decided to sell to Patricia because she will be a great new owner," says Andrea Ayres. "She has really learned the ropes with regard to the whole business. We felt that Splendora's needed some new ideas, and Patricia is incredibly creative and into food trends."
Read more on: splendora's gelato cafe
9 comments
Fax & Andrea are great people that clearly are exiting with the same grace they apply to all endeavors. Good luck to the Ayres in their future pursuits & to the new owner in hers.
Quibbling about metaphors aside, I'd like to wish Patricia the very best of luck in continuing Splendora's success. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that place.
oh please don't change the oven roasted almond gelato. :-)
+1 Jo.
hopefully patricia's new ideas include making the gelato good like milano's was.
"...started in 2005 and has been in charge of making the gelato and running the place since last year."
Uh, I'd say working there for almost five years and having a year of 'running the place' under her belt is maybe the *opposite* of the "Willy Wonka method." Come ON. It's a cute phrase, but it seriously misrepresents Patricia's sustained hard work.
Milano's gelato was good?!? It came frozen in a box from michigan or somewhere, was old when it got to the store, and was so full of stabilizers and junk the sorbet looked like glue! Real gelato is fresh, which is clearly the case at Splendora's, and the ingredient list short, simple, and clean. you "foodies" from cvillain never knew squat about food, and this is a perfect example.
”Š.deleted by moderator for being one of those tiresome internet bullies who hides behind multiple pseudonyms clamoring about censorship and free speech, while not understanding the first thing about using that precious right wisely. If you'd like to say whatever you want, we suggest you publish your own blog.
The gelato is STILL overpriced, not particularly tasty, and the counter staff are far less than convivial.
Before someone drops $30 on Italian ice cream at that joint, treating their family, they deserve to know the value just isn't there.
For all its aspirations, the Hook continues to wallow in mediocrity.
So long, dipsticks.
Be careful unHooked and Ricky. You are open to personal attack and being denounced as having something personal against Splendora's if you disapprove of the quality of their product.