There's a new dessert shop coming to Dallas' Park Cities with an Argentinian twist on gelato. Called Gelato La Boca, it's an already established online brand now opening its first retail shop in Snider Plaza at 3406 Rosedale Ave.

Gelato La Boca was first launched by Martín Pereyra de Olazabal and Owen Carlson in September of 2023 on a direct-to-consumer website, as well as at Central Market, Foxtrot, and wholesale at some local restaurants. They also have a gelato cart for events, which you can find at Klyde Warren Park every Saturday.

The new shop will be concurrent with all these existing operations. They hope to be open by late spring.

Martín has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years and attended SMU, but grew up in Argentina, where gelato is a big thing, and partnered with Carlson, a native of Highland Park, to share that passion.

“We wanted to recreate the way people eat fresh artisanal gelato in Argentina," they say.

The location they're in was previously home to Ben's Cookies, the London-based cookie concept which closed in early 2024. The space will be mainly a standing room with a bar, and a bench outside. They will serve coffee and affogato as well.

“It is hard in Dallas to find an intimate space," Owen says. "You don’t need a large space for a gelato shop. It all lined up for us."

Gelato La Boca has 30 flavors available daily for delivery via their custom-braded Fiat, but at the shop, they will limit the selection to 12 rotating flavors.

“We don’t want to overwhelm customers, and every day they come, they can experience something new," Martín says.

Highlights include:

• Chocolate La Boca: Ecuadorean chocolate with dulce de leche and chocolate flakes
• Sambayón: Similar to Italian Zabaione, made with eggs, sugar and wine
• Dulce de Leche La Boca: Dulce de leche ice cream swirled with dulce de leche syrup or with chocolate chip
• Strawberry Rose gelato, infused with rose petals
• Fruitera sorbet, with orange, peach, and strawberry

They'll also offer vegan flavors such as vegan pistachio and chocolate.

Their flavors were developed by chef Manu Torterola, who grew up in Argentina in a family of gelato makers. He created them with authenticity in mind.

Dallas old-timers might recall that Talenti Gelato was originally founded in Dallas in 2003 by Josh Hochschuler, who based his recipe on a traditional Argentine gelato-making method. (He subsequently sold the company to Unilever.)

Argentina had a large wave of Italian immigrants in the past two centuries, and it is said that two out of three Argentinians have an Italian ancestor. Much of the immigration came by sea and landed in the riverside neighborhood La Boca in Buenos Aires, known for its colorful houses and for being home of Boca Juniors soccer team, where late soccer legend Maradona once played. La Boca also means “The Mouth” in Spanish, so the name speaks to the palate and gelato enjoyment.

While Italian gelato informed Argentinian ice cream culture and production methods, Argentinian ice cream tends to be creamier and richer, with unique flavors like dulce de leche.

Ice cream will be displayed in Pozzetti counters, where ice cream bowls are covered and kept at a refrigeration level that creates ideal consistency. This is a departure from the more visible displays at most shops — but they're ready for an initial education process with sampling, in case customers are unfamiliar with the names.

"We are ready to offer the neighborhood the best scoop of gelato they have ever had," Owen says.