A landmark Fife ice cream parlour is hoping to freeze out its competition with a major refurbishment of its century-old St Andrews home.
Jannettas Gelateria, which has been operating from its original site in the town since 1908, is officially Scotland’s favourite ice-cream shop, having scooped the 2014 Golden Cone award in the summer.
The business, named as the retail business of the year at The Courier Business Awards last month, also has an outlet in Perth and an event catering arm, and provides regular employment for around 80 full and part-time staff.
Work to transform the South Street premises and create a new Italian caf style interior is due to last six weeks.
The business expects to reopen its doors in mid to late February.
The facelift, designed by Broughty Ferry architects Nicoll Russell Studios, is mainly focused on creating a more fluid customer experience, removing the wall between what is currently the gelateria and the caf.
There will also be increased production space to meet the demand for the firm’s award-winning gelato, as well as a space where customers can see ice-cream being made, particularly during events and demonstrations.
”We are hugely excited by this redevelopment. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase what Jannettas has become famous for,” said Owen Hazel, who runs Jannettas with his wife Nicola the great grand-daughter of founder Bennett Jannetta.
“We feel, for many reasons, that the time is right for Nicola and I to invest in our business.
“We recognise that our family business continually needs to change in order to grow, provide great customer service, sustain our foothold as an award-winning high quality artisan gelato producer and reinforce our commitment to all of our customers and staff.
“We very much look forward to unveiling our new look early in the New Year and welcoming our customers back,” he added.
Among the changes will be a new backdrop based on a collage of the Jannetta family’s photographic archive, illustrating the history behind the business and its evolution for future generations.
Andy Baxter, a partner at Nicoll Russell Studios, said the company’s heritage was an important part of the redesign.
“Our early interviews with Owen and Nicola illustrated how passionate they were about their business and its history,” said Mr Baxter.
“We responded to this by developing a unique concept for the promotion of traditional Italian gelato, and a space to appreciate the art of its creation in front of customers and event audiences, ultimately providing a window into Italian culture and history.”