From left, Tami Waters and Jordan Sanchez cut the ribbon on their Gelateria Del Centro Friday in Downtown Fresno. Photo by Cecilia Lopez

After a year that will likely never be forgotten for one Fresno duo, Gelateria Del Centro celebrated its grand opening Friday afternoon, once again welcoming ice cream to the Warnors Center.

First announced this summer, the opening has been highly anticipated.

The idea for an ice cream shop was spurred by the sudden closure of Bitwise Industries this past summer. Co-owners Jordan Sanchez and Tami Waters were both employees at the now-defunct tech company. They hope to employ former Bitwise employees.

There’s some creative entrepreneurial firepower behind the venture. Sanchez also owns J-Street Studios in Downtown Fresno and Waters owns The Tipping Pointe, an event venue also located downtown.

They hope to bring additional life and attention to Tuolumne and Fulton streets, which has seen the revival of the Warnors Theatre following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re so excited to be opening in Downtown Fresno,” Sanchez said. “It’s been a long time coming and we worked really hard to create a beautiful space for the community. We just hope that everybody comes and supports and really livens up the spot.”

 

The shop features a variety of flavors including caramello chocolate crunch, limoncello, pistachio and more. In addition to some plant-based options, there will be seasonal offerings that currently include peach cobbler amaretto and white peppermint bark.

Sanchez, who lives downtown with her two daughters, said that Fresno’s revitalization plan for the area has much potential. She hopes Gelateria Del Centro will add to that.

The duo premiered their ice cream at Warnors Center’s first-ever Wine Walk in October. The event featured a behind-the-curtain look at the Warnors Theater, including its ground level storefronts that are mostly full.

In addition to running the shop, Sanchez also recently took a position as deputy chief of staff for Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

Gelateria Del Centro is located at 2017 Tuolumne St. and will be open daily from noon to 9 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 3. Regular hours will then shift to Monday through Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.

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Cecilia Lopez contributed to this report.