SweetCup Gelato & Sorbet Originale, the Montrose-born scoop shop known for small-batch, Italian-style gelato and an ever-changing lineup of inventive flavors, is now dishing out cups and cones for Cy-Fair crowds along with its loyal Montrose regulars. Owner Jasmine Chida has grown the business from a single neighborhood storefront into a brand with retail partnerships and a Montrose flagship, and the Cypress expansion brings those seasonal creations and dairy-free sorbets closer to families and weekend shoppers across north Houston.
From Montrose Daydream To Gelato Reality
Chida launched SweetCup in Montrose in 2012 after a trip to Italy convinced her to study the art of gelato and bring that tradition back home. According to SweetCup Gelato and Sorbet Originale, the shop crafts gelato, sorbets and frozen yogurts from scratch and sells pints at area grocers. The site frames SweetCup as a neighborhood-born operation that has steadily widened its footprint across Greater Houston while keeping its roots firmly in Montrose.
Honeymoon Homework: Gelato Edition
Chida has often pointed to her honeymoon in Italy as the turning point that pushed her from fan to full-on gelato student. She went on to master gelato techniques, earn a Penn State ice cream certification and study at an Italian gelato school. She told Community Impact, "There's just so much about Italy that just opened up my eyes, and I saw a different perspective," and the outlet reports that she sold her car early on to pay for equipment shipped in from Italy. That combination of formal training and personal sacrifice, she says, underpins the shop's focus on ingredients and technique.
Cypress Franchise Scoops In
The brand's first Cypress outpost arrived in 2025 as a franchised location in the Tuckerton retail corridor, carrying the Montrose menu to northwest Houston. Neighborhood outlets later reported a spring 2025 opening in Tuckerton Village, including coverage by MyNeighborhoodNews. That local reporting noted that the Cypress shop was designed to serve families and commuters outside the Loop while keeping the Montrose operation at the heart of the business.
Forty-Eight Flavors And A Vampire
SweetCup typically keeps 48 rotating gelato and sorbet flavors in its cabinets, shifting with the seasons and reserving plenty of space for dairy-free options. The menu moves from crowd-pleasers like guava creamsicle and grapefruit-lavender sorbet to oddities such as a caramelized-garlic scoop called "Vampire Delight." Chida has said she handpicks blueberries from Moorhead's Blueberry Farm for summer sorbets, and reporting notes that SweetCup operates an off-site manufacturing facility in Montrose and has previously sold products at Central Market, as reported by Community Impact. Between local produce and imported ingredients, those flavor experiments get a serious supply chain.
Where To Track Your Next Scoop
Montrose remains the flagship neighborhood scoop shop, while the Cypress outpost serves northwest Houston. Both locations, with hours and contact numbers, are listed on the company site. Per the shop's locations page at SweetCup Gelato and Sorbet Originale, customers can also find pints at select grocers and check which flavors are currently in rotation. For the latest on hours and seasonal offerings, the store's website is still the safest bet before heading out.
Why This Gelato Expansion Matters
SweetCup's move into Cypress fits into a broader pattern of independent dessert shops using neighborhood credibility to build multiple storefronts and retail partnerships, changing how Houstonians get their hands on artisanal frozen treats. Local food coverage, including Houstonia, has followed Chida's inventive flavors and neighborhood-minded approach as key reasons the shop stays relevant in a crowded dessert scene. If the Cypress franchise keeps its footing, SweetCup's blend of Italian technique and Texas flavors could become a template for future nearby expansions.
