A Nearly 80-Year-Old Italian Gelato Brand Just Went Big in America, and the Cones Sound Incredible

Sammontana, the Italian gelato maker that's been a household staple across Italy since the 1940s, is rolling out eleven new grab-and-go treats across the U.S. this summer. Here's what's landing in freezer cases and why it matters for anyone who loves a proper scoop.

An old Italian name makes a new American move

Sammontana isn't a startup chasing a trend. The company traces back to 1946 in Italy, built in the aftermath of the war using leftover American military equipment to get production going, and it's spent the decades since becoming one of those brands nearly every household in Italy grew up with. In the 1970s the company even brought in designer Milton Glaser, the mind behind the iconic I Love NY logo, to sketch the smiling face that still shows up on packaging today.

Last summer the brand tested American waters quietly, setting up shop inside Eataly locations and hosting a shaded gelato pop-up in Madison Square Park under colorful umbrellas. This summer it's not testing anymore. The company is putting real weight behind a full single-serve lineup meant for grocery freezer aisles rather than just Italian marketplace kiosks.

Eleven new grab-and-go treats hitting freezer cases

The new lineup breaks into three categories, and each one leans on a slightly different craving. First up are handheld bars in four flavors, headlined by a rich pistachio and a classic peanut butter, with a cocoa-forward option and a fruity mango version rounding things out. Next come sandwiches, which tuck that same dense gelato between a pair of soft cereal-style cookies rather than a wafer, showing up in pistachio, salted caramel, and coffee. Last are the cones, dipped in chocolate on the inside and finished with a crunchy topping of crushed pistachio, praline almond, or freeze-dried mango, available in salted caramel, sweet cream, pistachio, and mango.

Every piece is still made in Italy first, then shipped over, which keeps the production tied to the same process the brand has used at home for generations rather than switching to a domestic co-packer for speed.

• Bars: pistachio, peanut butter, cocoa, mango
• Sandwiches: pistachio, salted caramel, coffee, layered on soft cereal-style cookies
• Cones: salted caramel, sweet cream, pistachio, mango, chocolate-dipped with crunchy toppings

A market that's already scooping up growth

The timing lines up with a category that's been quietly booming. Industry tracking pegs the U.S. gelato market at $3.58 billion in 2024, with projections putting it near $5.04 billion by 2033. That's a lot of room for a brand with actual Italian roots to plant a flag, especially one leaning hard into the idea that it's the genuine article next to American-made competitors on the same shelf.

Sammontana's CEO Alessandro Angelon has described the goal in terms of everyday culture rather than pure sales, framing the expansion as a way to fold a slice of Italian daily life into the routine of the American cities it enters. That mindset tracks with how the brand has approached this from day one. Pop-up umbrellas and free tastings in a public park aren't exactly a hard grocery-aisle sell. They're closer to an invitation.

What it means for a scoop shop like ours

A national import doing this much groundwork is a good sign for anyone who genuinely loves gelato as its own thing, not just ice cream with a nicer name. It puts real marketing muscle behind flavors and textures that a lot of shoppers still haven't tried outside of a vacation to Italy, and that curiosity tends to spill over into everything else in the category, including the fresh-made stuff scooped daily at a real gelato case.

We'll be keeping an eye on which flavors from this lineup actually stick once they hit shelves nationwide. In the meantime, if freezer-aisle pistachio has you in the mood, come grab a scoop with us. Ours is made fresh, and there's no cereal cookie required to enjoy it.

The new Sammontana lineup at a glance

Eleven products is a lot to keep straight, so here's the full spread heading into freezer cases this year.

1. Pistachio Gelato Bar: Part of the four-flavor bar lineup alongside peanut butter, dark chocolatey, and mango.
2. Salted Caramel Gelato Sandwich: Gelato layered between soft cereal cookies, one of three sandwich flavors.
3. Coffee Gelato Sandwich: The espresso-forward option in the new sandwich trio.
4. Mango Cone: Chocolate-lined cone topped with freeze-dried mango pieces.
5. Sweet Cream Cone: A simpler, classic option among the four new cone flavors.
6. Praline Almond Topped Cone: One of three toppings available across the cone lineup, alongside crushed pistachio and freeze-dried mango.
7. Eataly Locations: Where the brand first tested the U.S. market last summer before this year's bigger push.

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