Gelateria Nuovo Fiore Key West

History

In 1919, Mary’s grandfather, Laghi Attilio began making sorbets and ice cream on his farm, in a little village, Villa Grappa, in Italy. He was poor but a strong farmer taking care of his land full of fruits and vegetables. HIs sorbets and ice cream became famous and all people from villages far and wide come to eat fresh fruit sorbets and ice creams.

In 1956, my Father and his brother, opened their first family shop on the Adriatic Riviera. Our shops are ’Gelateria Nuovo Fiore, which means ice cream new flower (my father explained to me that people after the war, they were all feeling like a new flower.) The shop was such a success, crowds in front of the shop created traffic problems. who wanted to see the hand- made sorbet/ice-cream made in antiques ice cream machine from our family recipes, real fruits and all natural ingredients. My father, Oliviero Laghi, opened 10 shops along the coast, each one managed by a family member. 98 years later, a customer can taste our gelato in my family’s shop in Rimini, Italy and know the gelato was produced with fresh natural ingredients in the same process since 1918. Our store in Rimini, Italy opened by my aunt 60 years ago, is an important piece of history. Federico Fellini, President Berlusconi, Valentino Rossi, Pantani, Princess Diana, political figures, sports figures and thousands more have enjoy my family’s gelato, sorbets and ice-creams.

My father started to visit the keys in 1980, returning every year until he passed in 2007. He always said he wanted to stay and open a shop, yet could not live without our natural ice cream, espresso and wine. I promised him I would open an ice cream production in Key West. Unfortunately, he passed before we opened. So I shipped my ice-cream machines, and I came to Key West, opening our newest store on Front Street.

I am happy to have fulfilled my Father’s dream. I still make the gelato, sorbets and ice-creams using my family’s recipe and the wonderful fresh fruits from the Keys.

My dream is to export my Key Lime ice cream! We also have a refrigerated mobile cart for ice-cream parties, like I used to do in Italy . It is my hope to show my father the Florida Keys are eating his ice cream that I make fresh everyday with natural ingredients and all my love!

See Mary’s family’s shop in Italy: http://www.gelatimagriebelli.com/home.html

Mary Laghi

Gelateria Nuovo Fiore Key West

407 Front St

Key West, FL 33040 (305) 923-1526

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