For some months we’ve heard this question in various forms: “What happened to Staccato Gelato?” Well, now we know—they are permanently closed, with the space having been cleared out over the weekend. And what’s going in there? Pronto Gelato’s second location
A Brief History of Pronto Gelato
Pronto Gelato is a collaboration between the Andrea Spella of Spella Caffè, known for their excellent coffee beans and espresso, and George Kaden of Campana, an Italian restaurant in the Woodlawn neighborhood. They first connected in 2017, when Campana used Spella coffee beans.
In 2023, they acquired a Eugene-based gelato company after the owner retired. They moved everything up to Portland and in May 2025 opened their first location in the form of a walk-up window on NE 42nd Avenue and Alberta Street.
I remember standing in line on the opening weekend—45 minutes with my friend Jen. It was hot, and it was worth it. The gelato is very good. They always participate in Strawberry Shortcake Week and I make an effort to hit them up for their entry into that delicious food week. It never fails to satisfy.
Pronto Gelato’s Second Location on NE 28th Avenue
I was tipped off by a comment on Reddit directing me to the Google results at the address in question. “Pronto Gelato NE 28th Ave.” is how it’s being identified by Google right now, but they will be operate as simply, “Pronto Gelato” on NE 28th Ave.
George Kaden confirmed over email that this is indeed a second location, not a move. “We will keep the seasonal scoop shop out of our production kitchen on 42nd and Alberta open every spring and summer,” he explained.
One difference between the two locations is, of course, that on NE 28th Avenue they have indoor seating. As well as this: “We’re expanding the Spella Caffè side of our brand to offer full morning coffee service alongside our gelato,” wrote George. Excellent.
Pronto Gelato’s Second Location: New Life in This Location
Staccato Gelato had seemed to have been closed for some time—the total period of time escapes me. Originally I thought they’d been closed for a number of years but a Kerns neighbor told me, “They remained open until very recently; he vacated the space in May.” Items were left over and remained stationary—here’s what it looked like inside in mid-June:
I personally enjoyed stopping in at Staccato Gelato and it was one of my earliest favorites in Portland.
It will be great to have gelato back in this space, and Pronto Gelato at that. “We feel incredibly lucky to land this space, and we’re honored that Pronto gets to carry on the 20 year legacy of gelato on NE 28th,” wrote George.
At this point in time, they are looking at an October 1, 2026 opening. I look forward to stopping in later this year.
Pronto Gelato NE 28th Ave [opening October 1, 2026]
232 NE 28th Avenue, Portland
Pronto Gelato website | Instagram | Facebook
Updated July 28, 2026 to correct the time Staccato Gelato had been closed.
Meg Cotner
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Woo hoo! Thanks for sharing this.
Our family (like several others I know) always went to Staccato Gelato to celebrate the last day of school. We’re trilled to learn we’ll be able to resume our tradition with, I presume, even better gelato!
This was an absolute void. So glad that the Pronto folks are coming in and I’ll have a better option for their gelato than a Ranch Pizza location in Hillsboro (which is closed anyway).
Also, I know Staccato Gelato locations elsewhere in the city closed earlier, but I swear this one was open until at least late last year. I always liked it better than Fifty Licks or Cheese and Crack because it never felt like a tourist attraction: It always seemed like a neighborhood place with people just going about their lives.
Also, its underrated donuts were a staple at Bryan Yaeger’s Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beer and Doughnut Festival each year. Glad to see the coffee element will still be in play, but will miss the tiny donuts.
I agree that it was a real neighborhood place. It was one of my first favorites in Portland and we often stopped in while bopping along NE 28th Avenue. I tried multiple times to contact Staccato Gelato but never heard back. I could guess it was just a really hard closure for them; I have no idea what the details are. I hope nothing tragic is part of their end story.