Tina Grello wanted mint chocolate chip ice cream two years ago. Neither she nor Janet Impastato could find any in Gulfport. So, they opened their own.
Janet Impastato has always loved the Beatles’ hit, ‘Let It Be’. She loved it so much, she decided to name her new business after the famous song.
“When things don’t look the way, you want them to look sometimes it’s best to take a breath and believe it will all work out,” the Gulfport woman said.
Let It Be Ice Cream opened a classic ice cream parlor on September 13. For 14 weeks, the customers have been coming in steadily.
Two years ago, Janet and Tina Gello moved to the little Florida coastal town. Tina is originally from Bethlehem, Penn. Janet claims Alabama as home. Upon arriving, they realized their new home was missing something.
“When it’s warm outside and the sun is shining it’s so easy to always be happy,” Tina said. “Ice cream makes everything better.”
Janet worked at a small ice cream shop when she was just out of high school. She tinkered with the flavors in her home kitchen for two years to develop the menu items at Let It Be.
“I’m on a butter pecan and pistachio kick,” Janet said.
Tina prefers mint chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter. The craving for that flavor is what started the journey towards owning an ice cream shop. Two years ago, she wanted some mint chocolate chip and couldn’t find any near her new Gulfport home.
“I was kind of shocked,” Tina said. “That’s kind of what planted the seed.”
Flash forward to March 2020 and she and Janet were signing paperwork to open the shop. That was pre-COVID pandemic.
There were sleepless nights wondering how starting a business amid such global uncertainty would work. Thankfully, the community wanted ice cream just as much as Tina and Janet.
“It was more important than ever to move forward with our dream to bring hope and bring joy and bring a place for people to come and relax during these uncertain times,” Janet explained.
They originally came up with an ice cream cart concept. That eventually grew into plans for a full-service, old-time parlor type of restaurant.
The partners have been so encouraged by the way the community has supported them so far. They started a pay-it-forward program where anyone can purchase a scoop of ice cream for a stranger. A $4 donation buys a small scoop. So far, since September, 75 people have paid for someone else’s treat.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Tina said. “We feel like ice cream makes everybody happy.”
Janet and Tina whipped up a special dessert to support a local newspaper during the month of December, $1 from the sale of each dessert supports the Gabber.
The dish is called the ‘Gabberwocky’ and is a cinnamon and brown sugar ice cream with ginger caramel and ginger snaps.
Even during a pandemic, they’re thankful for how quickly their business has taken off. Their hope is customers outside Gulfport find them in 2021.
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