Inside Cloud Cups, the New Black-Owned Gelato Shop in Kensington | Eater Philly

"I visited a lively Black-owned gelato shop in Kensington that offers an immersive tasting and retail experience; located at MaKen Studios North (3525 I Street), this 2,000-square-foot flagship accommodates about 50 customers and includes a lounge, retail section, and planned gelato-making workshops. The shop’s “cloud” design aesthetic features dreamy floors painted by Raheem Spataccino and colorful murals by Justin Richburg. Owner Galen Thomas, a West Oak Lane native and graduate of Frozen Dessert University and Carpigiani Gelato University, grew Cloud Cups from a scoop truck and pop-ups since 2019 into this brick-and-mortar after experimenting with CBD gelato and testing over 150 flavors; the shop rotates 36 flavors at a time. The menu includes sorbets such as passion fruit, berry mafia, piña colada, pineapple grape, and soursop; gelatos like vanilla chocolate, orange creamsicle, brown sugar cinnamon pop tart, and salted caramel; and non-dairy/vegan options including pistachio with saffron and rose water, non-dairy white coffee, and butterfly pea vanilla, plus in-house waffle cones in several flavors. In memory of the late Charisse McGill, Thomas created two French Toast Bites flavors (French Toast Bites gelato strawberry and French Toast Bites gelato strawberry stracciatella), and there are collaborations with other local Black-owned businesses such as the Cheesecake Lady (non-dairy butterfly pea vanilla and red velvet cheesecake) and Bean 2 Bean Coffee Company (non-dairy white coffee). The retail section sells Troy Shirts-designed graphic tees and gelato-scented candles made by Thomas’s fiancée Victoria Pickens of reALIGNd.co (apricot coconut creme wax with natural fragrance oils in limoncello, strawberries & cream, cereal milk, mint chocolate chip, and waffle cone scents). Workshops are set to launch in April—I was the first to test the concept and helped create an Irish cookies and cream flavor made with Baileys Irish Coffee and Oreos that will be sold during grand opening week. Cloud Cups officially opened Tuesday, March 19 (3–5 pm, with the first 100 customers receiving a free scoop), will operate Wednesdays to Sundays 1–8 pm with plans to expand hours in warmer weather, offers delivery via Uber Eats and DoorDash, ships nationwide from its website, and plans monthly collaborations to uplift BIPOC, women-owned, LGBTQIA, Asian, and other minority-owned businesses." - Ernest Owens