First, they opened an ‘ice cream ventanita.’ Now they have a new Coral Gables scoop shop
Sweet Melody’s luxurious, premium ice cream, served out of an “ice cream ventanita,” used to be west Kendall’s conceit alone — but not anymore.
The popular ice cream shop opened a second location Oct. 22 on Calle Ocho, in Coral Gables, bringing Sweet Melody’s rich ice cream to a centrally located spot available to more of Miami.
“It opens up a whole new market for us,” owner Mike Romeu said, noting that now the ice cream should be available farther east to Brickell, downtown and Wynwood via third-party delivery apps.
Sweet Melody is unique both for its flavors and its provenance.
Romeu started making ice cream out of his home almost a decade ago, until its fame spread by word of mouth. He had his first shop in Kendall, at 15224 Southwest 72nd St., certified as a dairy plant, so he could pasteurize the cream and control the quality and richness of the ice cream. Opening a window, which he likened to a Cuban coffee window, allowed him to sell pints directly to peckish customers.
There Sweet Melody (named after Romeu’s daughter) also makes many of its mix-in ingredients. House-baked brownies with sea salt, butterscotch and malt pair with toasted hazelnuts for its Hella Nutella. Brazilian guava and cheesecake go into Bo & Jo’s Guava Cream Cheese. And candied honey comb and Belgian chocolate shavings go into the buttered vanilla ice cream in Milk & Honey.
Additionally, the shop offers vegan choices like Café Sin Leche (oat and coconut milk coffee ice cream with Oreos) and dairy-free options such as the Toasted Coconut (vegan coconut ice cream with toasted coconut flakes).
“We’re always tweaking flavors, always trying to get better,” he said.
All of the ice cream is made in the Kendall location, Romeu said. Pints and individual scoops are available, as well as milkshakes and, soon, it will offer specialty sundaes.
It’s the first sit-down shop for Sweet Melody since a Palmetto Bay location that closed after just 10 months, in September 2021, after a fallout with a former business partner.
The new shop is a clean, mint-colored spot with a pair of tables and a counter with stools in a blink-and-miss-it strip mall along busy Southwest Eighth Street. Parking behind the shop is tricky with heavy traffic, but there is also street parking available. The shop is only open weekends for now.
Sweet Melody Ice Cream
Address: 3814 SW 8th St., Coral Gables
Hours: 3-11 p.m., Friday. Noon-11 p.m., Saturday. Noon-10 p.m., Sunday.
More info: SweetMelodyIcecream.com
This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
