Tre Cuori Gelateria & Açaí, the Ellisville shop that recently earned international bragging rights for its gelato, is opening a second location in downtown Clayton. The new spot at 42 N. Central Avenue will feature a larger, open-concept space where customers can watch gelato and açaí bowls being made, according to plans for the shop.
The Clayton location is expected to open between January and February 2027, as reported by Sauce Magazine. It will include a display case with room for 24 gelato flavors, a mix of the shop's classic offerings and new flavors created specifically for the Clayton crowd, plus a dedicated play area for children. The Clayton City Council formally cleared the way for the project on August 11, approving a Conditional Use Permit for Tre Cuori Gelateria, LLC to operate a restaurant and dessert concept at the address, according to the Clayton City Council.
A Global Gelato Crown Fuels the Expansion
The Clayton move comes on the heels of a career-defining honor for owner Tassia Vicentin Rezende. Recently, Tre Cuori was awarded the Gelato World Master Crown and ranked No. 58 globally at the 2026 Gelato World Masters in Rome, Italy — making it the first gelateria in Missouri to crack a top-60 global ranking, according to Sauce Magazine. That ranking reflected years of competition judging technical execution, flavor and ingredient quality rather than a single contest.
The road to Rome ran through St. Louis. Rezende won first place at the 2025 St. Louis competition with her original flavor Arachidi, a peanut butter gelato loaded with crunchy peanuts, dulce de leche and Belgian chocolate, according to Local Profile. That win advanced her to the North American semifinals. She also participated in the 2025 Los Angeles event, a selection for the 2026 world finals. The Gelato Festival World Masters, founded in 2010 in Florence, Italy, runs on a four-year global tournament cycle judging thousands of international gelato artisans across five continents, per Secret Los Angeles.
From Family Savings to a Wholesale Business
Rezende, who moved to St. Louis from Brazil 13 years ago, said in comments reported by the seed publisher that the larger kitchen in Clayton will help meet growing wholesale demand and expand partnerships with local restaurants. Tre Cuori has provided all the gelato for Katie's Pizza for the past 12 months and developed exclusive flavors for Katie's special dinners and events. The company also recently began partnering with Gamlin's, which now serves an affogato made with Tre Cuori's fior di latte gelato.
The name Tre Cuori translates to “Three Hearts,” chosen by Rezende to represent herself, her husband Rafael and their son Pedro after the family relocated to St. Louis from Brazil in late 2013, according to VoyageSTL. Rezende paused a corporate career to raise her family before completing formal diplomas in gelato and confectionery. When she and her family opened the original Ellisville shop in 2022, they relied entirely on personal credit and savings, the outlet reports.
What's on the Menu — And What's Coming to Clayton
Tre Cuori was created to bring authentic Italian and Brazilian flavors to St. Louis, blending Rezende's Italian and Brazilian heritage into a single menu. The flagship location at 15877 Fountain Plaza Drive in Ellisville opened in March 2022, and today its menu includes 18 gelato flavors, açaí bowls, coffee, macarons and tiramisu, alongside Brazilian street foods like crispy Brazilian cheese bread and chicken coxinha.
Rezende said the team is excited to bring the family-friendly Ellisville atmosphere to Clayton, the St. Louis County seat. The family-run gelateria is betting Clayton will embrace its award-winning scoops.
