The prodigal son has returned: Dolcezza gelateria is coming home to Georgetown. Signs up at 1300 Wisconsin Ave. now announce the store’s return scheduled for this winter. (Sorry for the poor photo with the car blocking the shot.)
Dolcezza was founded in Georgetown in 2004 and operated at 1560 Wisconsin Ave. for many years. Even as the store opened other locations, it continued to actually make the gelato in the basement of its original location. But as the chain took off like a rocket opening multiple fancy locations across the District and beyond, the original spot was somewhat left behind and finally closed in 2018 to my great chagrin.
By 2019, the chain had nine locations, including a massive production facility in Union Market which opened in 2014 and replaced the tiny cramped Georgetown basement. But the double whammy of perhaps an over expansion coupled with Covid led the chain to trim five locations in late 2020.
But they are back to expanding, with a new location on H St. NE opened earlier this year. And now they are finally ready to come home.
When they left Georgetown I spoke with their retail broker who was hopeful they’d be back soon at a more busy location. Wisconsin and N is definitely a lot busier. So hopefully this homecoming will stick.
As for the building they left, it has seen a series of restaurants open and sadly fail. Fingers crossed for the newest entrant, Delhi Belly, but its success would be a surprise frankly. The location is simply not particularly well suited to a restaurant, except, ironically, for a gelato or ice cream shop.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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