Zero Gradi Gelateria and Dessert Bar just made its U.S. debut in Dallas’ City Center District and is now transporting Dallasites to Amalfi Coast’s beautiful beaches.
Imagine walking barefoot along the Italian coast, surrounded by cloudless blue skies and the Mediterranean sea’s clear emerald water. What would make the moment even more perfect? Fresh, handcrafted Italian pastries and gelato, which you can find just off the shores of the Amalfi Coast.
CVD Developments, LLC – owners of 400 Gradi Dallas, located right next to the new Zero Gradi Gelateria and Dessert Bar – wanted an experiential design firm to help bring this Italian vision to life, while also sticking to the concept’s Australian roots. So, they hired Harrison, a Dallas-based, award-winning design consultancy with a worldwide reach. Harrison also has offices in the U.K. and Melbourne, Australia, which perfectly positioned the company to support Zero Gradi. As concept designer and architect of record, Harrison provided the client with turnkey service. Inspiration for their designs came from the pastel-colored parasols that lined the Amalfi Coast beaches during the ‘60s and ‘70s.
“At Harrison, we strongly believe in the importance of an authentic brand story, so when we were approached about this opportunity, we dove in head first,” says Harrison COO Keith Anderson. “We fully immersed ourselves in the Zero Gradi experience by flying to the original location in Melbourne, Australia. Through extensive research and time spent with the brand, we were able to combine the Italian vision with the brand’s popularity in Australia in order to create a contemporary, refined, inviting design that’ll transport guests to Italy’s famous coastlines. Taking time to truly understand the company and its position in the market is key to successfully supporting the brand as it enters global markets.”
“We chose to work with Harrison due to their extensive experience with global brand transfers throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and South America,” says Igor Stevovic, principal of CVD Developments, LLC. “They have proven to be an indispensable partner. We look forward to continuing our work with them to bring Zero Gradi stateside.”
Inspired by his travels to Italy, Zero Gradi was created by Johnny Di Francesco, the world champion, award-winning chef behind 400 Gradi – a Neapolitan-style pizzeria from Australia. Zero Gradi Dallas features a full espresso bar, a dessert bar with an Italian-inspired menu of scratch-made pastries and a gelateria with more than 20 handcrafted traditional gelato flavors, including several fruit-forward sobettos.
“The Amalfi Coast is renowned for its traditional gelato made with Italian expertise,” Chef Francesco says. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring Zero Gradi to the U.S. and give Dallasites a taste of authentic gelato and premium desserts. We chose Dallas because of its multi-cultural food scene and the people. You can’t find the same Southern hospitality that you get in Dallas, anywhere else in the states.”
Zero Gradi Dallas is located at 2000 Ross Ave., Ste. 180, next to 400 Grade. This is the first Zero Gradi in the U.S. The original Zero Gradi opened in 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.
