Lygon St gets a sweet new addition

GLO Gelato, a boutique gelateria and specialty cake shop, has landed on Carlton’s iconic strip.

Founded by hospitality veterans and family trio Alfredo Mercuri, Angelo Mercuri, and Danielle Miller, GLO Gelato offers a nostalgic yet modern twist on handmade gelato, infused with flavour and fun.

“Our hand-made gelato program is a modern take on your favourite flavours that you enjoyed as a child. Nostalgia is at the heart of our program, and we achieve this by making our gelato flavours loud and loaded,” co-owner Alfredo Mercuri said.

With 12 core gelato flavours and four rotating seasonal specials, GLO’s curated selection reflects personal favourites and international classics that evoke childhood memories.

Among the standouts include Yogi Bear, a blend of real Greek yogurt and wild organic blueberry jam; Icky Sticky, with popcorn-infused gelato, salted caramel, and sticky date pudding chunks; and Strawberry Short Cake, inspired by a cherished family recipe from Danielle Miller’s grandmother.

A key point of difference for GLO Gelato is its commitment to crafting everything from scratch.

Every component – from gelato bases to sauces and inclusions like jams, cakes, and brittles – is made in-house.

“After tasting all of the jams and inclusions readily available on the market for gelato shops, we decided the only way to get the flavour and texture we wanted was to make everything ourselves,” Mr Mercuri said.

“This includes the gelato bases to the candied nuts, cakes, jams, brittles, sauces, crumbles, and puddings.”

This approach not only results in richer flavours, but also gives GLO more control over sustainability practices, ingredient sourcing, and waste reduction.

Despite launching during the cooler months, the GLO team hasn’t let winter chill their ambitions.

In fact, they’ve embraced it with a limited-time dessert designed to warm the soul.

We constantly strive to innovate and create delicious products for year-round enjoyment. For example, this June, we have launched our winter-warming Hot Custard Crumble

The Hot Custard Crumble combines warm apple pie filling, Italian custard, and GLO’s house-made crumble, all topped with creamy fior di latte gelato for the ultimate comfort treat.

GLO’s creativity also extends to its range of contemporary mousse cakes, designed for both convenience and indulgence.

“Our specialty cakes are also not what you’d expect,” Mr Mercuri said.

“Is it a donut? Or is it gelato? No and no. GLO’s specially crafted mousse cakes are contemporary and fun and can be enjoyed from the freezer or thawed from the fridge. They won't melt and ruin your party.”

With deep roots in the Melbourne hospitality scene, the team behind GLO brings more than 60 years of collective experience.

GLO Gelato is the newest venture from the trio, who also run Universal Restaurant – a Lygon St staple since 1969 – and Wilding Foods, a sustainable ready-meal delivery service operating in Victoria and NSW.

Before launching, the team travelled abroad to hone their craft, gaining inspiration and technical knowledge from the world’s best gelato makers.

“GLO Gelato is a culmination of all our learnings in the hospitality industry, we wanted it to be big, bold and fun,” Mr Mercuri said.

“We are excited to launch GLO Gelato, and we hope it becomes a meeting place for Carlton's locals, where everyone feels welcome and leaves content.” •