Popular dessert brand Gelato Messina is opening its first Tasmanian store on Hobart’s waterfront.
The gelato chain has confirmed it will move into the former Billy’s Burgers shopfront at the redeveloped Elizabeth Street Pier, with plans to open in mid-September.
“We’ll be opening with a collaborative gelato special, combining Shadow Baking, Gelato Messina and local Tasmanian produce,” a Messina spokesperson told Pulse.
Shadow Baking is a venture from Tom Mitchell and Florian Fritsch, both in Messina’s head chef team.
The pair started the project as a side hustle during the COVID pandemic after experimenting in Messina’s kitchens.
A combined Shadow Baking and Gelato Messina store is a rare offering, with only two others at the brand’s Marrickville headquarters in Sydney and in North Adelaide.
The Hobart location will be the first flagship combining both concepts in Tasmania.
The spokesperson described Shadow Baking as “blurring the line between classic Aussie bakery and French patisserie, while upholding the highest quality of ingredients and making everything from scratch.”
Messina is known for churning 40 fresh flavours a day, made up of 30 regulars and 10 monthly specials.
The company also has its own chocolate-making operation and makes its own dulce de leche at its production facility in Marrickville.
South Australian firm Sans-Arc Studio is the architect for the project, having also designed Messina stores in Glenelg and Cronulla in 2025.
The store is expected to create around 10 jobs, with hiring set to begin ahead of the opening.
The spokesperson said the brand had been searching for the right Tasmanian site for around five years.
“We couldn’t pass up the redevelopment of the pier, with such an iconic position and set of businesses to join forces with,” the spokesperson said.
The new store forms part of the broader Elizabeth Street Pier redevelopment, which will include a new 98-room, $40 million Citadines hotel along with other restaurants and retailers.
