McKinney | August 2023

FIRST LOOK

BY SHELBIE HAMILTON

Terri’s Gelato Cafe oers fresh-made gelato with more than 10 avor options.

Owners Ashley and TJ Reilly opened Terri’s Gelato Cafe in downtown McKinney.

The cafe serves gelato, sorbeto and more, and also oers vegan options. PHOTOS BY SHELBIE HAMILTONCOMMUNITY IMPACT

GELATO VS ICE CREAM

Terri’s Gelato Cafe Cafe owners create fresh gelato inspired by family roots H usband and wife TJ and Ashley Reilly are bringing authentic gelato and ingredients from Italy to their new downtown McKinney shop. What sets the food at Terri’s Gelato Cafe apart is the quality ingredients, including fresh fruits and ingredients imported from Italy, Ashley said. This results in a better, fresher tasting gelato. “When you’re not putting all

20% air incorporated, slow churned for more density Gelato 5%-8% fat content Served at 15 degrees Fahrenheit or higher

60% air incorporated, whipped faster for less density Ice Cream 10% fat content or more

Customers at Terri’s Gelato Cafe can try 12 avors of gelato and sor- beto that are made fresh daily and include vegan options. The shop also plans to oer rotating seasonal avors, such as the Lucky Charms and Chocolate Brownie Guinness avors that debuted in March. “I think one of the biggest compliments I got from a customer was, when he tasted our strawberry gelato, he said, ... ‘Oh my gosh, this is the rst gelato I’ve had in the states where when I ate it, it brought me back to when I was in Rome with my wife,’” Ashley said. “That made us really happy.” The shop also oers espresso drinks, teas and aogato, which is a scoop of gelato topped with a shot of espresso and a wafer cookie. Other recent menu additions include Italian sodas, wae cones and pastries, including cannolis and Italian rainbow cookies.

Served at 5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher SOURCE: TERRI’S GELATO CAFECOMMUNITY IMPACT

The cafe had its grand opening March 16 at 101 N. McDonald St., Ste. 110, McKinney. The gelato shop is named for TJ’s Sicilian grandmother Terri. She valued family, music and good food, all things she imparted onto her family members before dying due to pancreatic cancer complications, Ashley said. “My grandmother loved music, and we just wanted to make [the cafe] a chill theme, a lot of good music, obviously going to have quality food because she wanted everything to be perfect,” TJ said. “Everything had to be Italian.” The cafe is decorated in shades of its signature color purple, which was Terri’s favorite, Ashley said.

these preservatives, additives, dif- ferent syrups and stu, and you’re using like the real deal, ... it really truly makes all the dierence in the taste and the quality,” Ashley said. The couple moved to McKinney 10 years ago from New York. Ashley, a former special education teacher, and TJ, who worked in construc- tion, have spent the past two years developing their business’s concept. “We’ve been brainstorming a family business to own, something that we could ... give back to our community and just start meeting more people within our community because we just love McKinney,” Ashley said.

Terri’s Gelato Cafe 101 N. McDonald St., Ste. 110 214-836-1802 www.instagram.com/terrisgelatocafe Hours vary by day

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