BEBE ZITO OPENING IN LOWRY HILL EAST

Meet Bebe Zito, a brand-new ice cream shop opening in Lowry Hill East that’s ready to take you to “flavortown.”

Bebe Zito is a small batch ice cream company that currently hand crafts its products at The Good Acre in Falcon Heights. Their zany, unique and sometimes quirky flavors aren’t what you’ll find at your typical ice cream establishment and that’s something we think you should be pretty excited about.

Each flavor is made with high quality ingredients and mix-ins. Think of flavors like Vegan Black Coconut, Purple Cane (which is blackberry black tea, sugar cane & almond marzipan) and uBe-Bebe (which is sweet potato pie (sub uBe). If you like to play it safe and you’re more into traditional flavors of ice cream no need to worry as Bebe Zito will also offer flavors like java chip, Brazilian chocolate and of course vanilla.

Co-owners Gabriella Grant and Ben Spangler created the concept for this unique ice cream company. While Bebe Zito has been doing pop-up events for quite some time the company hasn’t had a brick and mortar space to call home and to serve their delicious ice cream out of.

That all changed last fall when they found the perfect space just a hundred feet from the corner of 22nd and Lyndale.

Located at 704 W. 22nd Street, the space they’ll open up in most recently was home to Fox Den Salon and shares a building with Hum’s Liquors, Caffetto and Red Dragon Restaurant & Lounge. After a very successful kickstarter campaign, Bebe Zito is getting ready to officially open their doors in next few months.

Now that we’ve told you all about Bebe Zito, we should tell you a bit about Ben and Gabriella.

Ben has experience as a Chef here in Minnesota and even was one of the individuals behind some of the flavors at Milkjam (yes, THE Milkjam) and Cookies & Creamery. Ben also has been on the Food Network on a TV Show called “King of Cones” (the ice cream version of Chopped) where he received a PERFECT 10 out 10 on his ice cream submission. Gabriella is the one behind the brand and all the creative and killer marketing, including the name. Bebe Zito is a play on a pet name from Gabriella’s Brazilian cultural ties.

One fun fact about the two? Ben proposed to Gabriella WHILE they were shooting the promo material announcing that Bebe Zito was officially opening a shop. There’s nothing better than an ice cream shop born out of love.

Bebe Zito will be located within the Lowry Hill East neighborhood at 704 W. 22nd Street and is anticipated to open in late spring/early summer.