City scoops parlour

Family chain planning new franchise in shopping area

Crolla’s Gelateria is a 120-year-old family-run company with restaurants in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Preston.

Local entrepreneur Jamie Shankland is set to open the franchise in Perth Road.

The 27-year-old from Fintry previously rose to prominence after launching clothing company Marble Boy.

Peter Crolla, fifth generation owner of the franchise, said that the redevelopment of the city meant that it was a prime location for a store.

He said: “I was looking at Dundee as a potential site — it was always our plan to open shops in all the major cities in Scotland.

“Dundee is a city that is on the up with a lot of development going on.

“I think that there will be a lot more people coming to the area in the future.

“Jamie approached us saying that he was looking to open a franchise in the city. We held various meetings with him and we are excited about the future.

“He saw the way that the ice cream industry has grown and he wanted to be a part of it.

“It was all about finding the right location and I think that Jamie has managed to do that.”

Mr Crolla said he intended to have the gelateria open to the public within two months. He added: “It is an ice cream experience that we offer.

“We use a secret recipe that started in Italy with my family back in the day.

“All our ice cream is fresh and people can actually watch as it is being made.

“We also offer cold stone creations — where people can add different ingredients and watch the product being made.

“Crolla’s growth can be credited to our satisfied customers who have made our once small ice cream parlour into the huge success it is today.

“The quality of our ice cream is what makes the difference.”

DUNDEE is set to scoop a new ice cream parlour as a national franchise arrives in the city.

Main picture: One of Crolla’s existing ice cream parlours. Inset, owner Peter Crolla, who is the fifth generation of the same family to have run the firm.