Gelato shop to offer ‘something different’ to downtown Ottawa

John and Maura Mathias already are familiar with downtown Ottawa, with their Beach House Seafood Restaurant having been a success for the past three years.

The familiarity has inspired the veteran restauranteurs to step in another direction entirely.

The Sweet Bean Gelato and Intelligentsia Coffee Shop, located at 704 La Salle St., next door to the Beach House, is their newest effort, slated to serve its first creamy cold treats, tasty hot coffees and delicious homemade pastries beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9.

“I love gelato, as most people do,” John Mathias said. “We decided on that because it’s just a touch healthier, made with milk and other natural ingredients over heavy cream, so it’s a little different. That’s all we want to do. We mean to be an addition to the community by offering something a little different.

“We want to be complementary to not only our business, but to all the businesses in the area, to keep people in Ottawa and not leave right after dinner.”

The person making the Italian frozen treat is a native of that country and, while he’s making it off-site right now, it won’t be long before gelato in a variety of flavors is created in-house.

The coffee offerings include regular brewed coffee, plus a variety of espresso, cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates. Meanwhile, on the food side, it will have breakfast fare such as a cheesy grits and pork belly bowl, a French toast bowl, lox, bagels, turnovers, babka and other items.

The pastries will be baked in the Beach House ovens, often a special dish shared by both venues. There also will be a seasonal theme to some offerings as the holidays approach.

The hours will be from 8 a.m to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The sixth food-service business started by Mathias and now the third in operation – also active are the Beach House and Pesciolini Osteria, an Italian restaurant in Channahon – Sweet Bean started out as just a gelato shop for dispensing cool confections, Mathias’ first venture into the fast-service food industry.

However, after meeting with representatives of Intelligentsia Coffee, those premium products were added to the menu to give the place “a little cache.”

“And what goes better with coffee than pastry? That’s the trifecta,” Mathias said. “It’s really a dessert-oriented, after dinner-oriented business … and it fits in with the restaurant next door – a push business like go next door, show your receipt and have something on the house kind of thing.

“We’re proud about what we do. If you’re excited about it and have a passion for it, it will show up in the food, and we’re excited about this.”