Coolside’s Glow Up

Coolside Gelato has a new owner with changes

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Allyson May

The Coolside Gelato building may look the same, but new changes are happening on the inside.

Coolside Gelato is favored by most people in the Palm Harbor area. They opened in 2013 and their business has had a great breakthrough. They’ve gotten pretty popular with the public by being featured in the news many times. However, the owner, Leila Barbara, is giving her position off to someone else.

“We’ve done it for five years and loved it, we just want something new,” said Barbara. “I want to focus more on the Beerlotto events and bring more customers in.”

She is not leaving Coolside permanently, she just will not be in the shop as often as before.

“I will miss it a lot, but I will be in and out helping. I’m just going to focus more on events,” said Barbara.

Barbara handed her ownership off to Nick Parkes, and he has new ideas to spark the place up. Coolside is already a place to hangout and enjoy the gelato they serve, but the new ideas might drive up more attention to the public and make the place have more things to do.

“I’m going to try and get frequency cards, add videos games, and have WiFi to make the place more of a teen hangout,” said Parkes. “Maybe even have a gelato truck that can go to events.”

Coolside Gelato is open Tuesdays through Sundays and staff is always present. It is located at 1124 11th Street, Palm Harbor.