Sweet news! Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. to open a shop in Crosstown Concourse

Jennifer Chandler, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read

Clarksdale, Mississippi-based Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. will open a gelato shop in Crosstown Concourse in the spring.

Hugh Balthrop, the founder and creative director of Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co., has signed a five-year lease to take over the spot in the Central Atrium that was most recently Area 51 Ice Cream.

“We're thrilled to welcome Hugh Balthrop and his Sweet Magnolia Gelato team to the Crosstown community. Their delicious, small-batch, artisan gelatos are a great complement to a meal from one of Concourse's restaurants. Community-building is at the core of what we do, and it's always such an honor and privilege to welcome a new business to the mix," said Todd Richardson, President Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative.

Balthrop said he is excited to have another retail shop in Memphis.

Hugh Balthrop is the owner and head gelato maker at Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co.
Hugh Balthrop is the owner and head gelato maker at Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co.

“Memphis is my jam. My first retail partners were here," he said. "I have a special connection with Memphis and always want to have a presence here."

Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. opened in 2011, selling artisan gelato in retail pints and wholesale to restaurants across Memphis and the Mississippi Delta. Top-selling flavors include Espresso Brownie, Blood Orange, Whiskey & Pecans and Miss Mary’s Poundcake.

MEMPHIS RESTAURANT HISTORY: Jim's Place Grille celebrates 100 years of steaks, souflima and Southern hospitality

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Restaurant groups to the rescue: What's being done to save some of Memphis' beloved eateries

Balthrop said the gelato case will hold about 12 flavors, which will rotate seasonally. Included in the selection will be flavors that are only available at the shop, as well as many of the top sellers.

Sweet Magnolia's original shop in Puck Food Hall in Downtown Memphis closed when the food hall shut down in late 2020. Balthrop had hoped to open a shop in the Edge District, but plans for that shop fell through during the pandemic. Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. also has a gelato shop in Oxford, Mississippi.

Sweet Magnolia Gelato inside the Puck Food Hall on Thursday, July 18, 2019.
Sweet Magnolia Gelato inside the Puck Food Hall on Thursday, July 18, 2019.

You don’t have to wait until the spring for a taste.

Pints can be purchased at dozens of stores throughout the Memphis area, including Whole Foods Market, High Point Grocery and The Curb Market.

On Dec. 3, Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. will have a pop-up with free samples at the Crosstown Concourse “Delight at Concourse” annual holiday lighting celebration from 5 to 7 p.m.

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.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co. to open a shop in Crosstown Concourse