Irreversible damage
In March 2025, the beloved community hub known as the Gelateria Coffee Co. on South Grand suffered extensive overnight fire damage, forcing its doors shut indefinitely. While no one was harmed, the fire caused severe damage to the historic space and all it represented, marking the start of a long road to repair and recovery for owners Andy and Amanda Fair and their staff.
Grief and repair, uncaptured
The Gelateria took to social media to share the news and call for community support during the long journey ahead. While staying connected to supporters who shared in the devastation, Fair has also taken time to heal from the toll it took on him, his wife and business partner, Amanda, and their staff.
“We had a tremendous amount of community support. We were able to get the staff a couple of payrolls and help them find positions elsewhere if that’s what they wanted,” Fair said. “Then I let myself hurt and figure out the next steps.”
Last week marked the first phase of demolition, clearing out the contents into a dumpster, many of which held personal significance for Fair, such as an old-school audio system passed down from his father. Now completely gone, it had been part of Fair’s life for as long as he can remember.
“We did everything on a shoestring. I brought so many things from home that were in that space. And at the end of it, no one got hurt – it’s just things,” Fair said. “But there are a lot of emotions tied up in those things. So, to be honest, I’m still grieving.”
Rebuilding with expansion, yet preservation
Once Fair began to recover emotionally, they started working on plans to rebuild the Gelateria. While construction has not yet begun, they have been thoughtful about maintaining the historic nature of the building, aiming to stay as true to its bones as possible.
“It came down to how we are going to bring this back because it was clear that we had a pretty strong sentiment with the community,” Fair said. “I love what the Gelateria became, what it meant to so many people, and we felt we could either close it or do whatever it took to bring it back. So we decided to work toward that.”
Throughout the process of salvaging the building, which was built in 1909, Fair has been intentional about assembling a team with strong ties to St. Louis, from architecture to construction. He is also working with the SBA through the St Louis Economic Development Partnership.
“It’s a tremendous undertaking to try and save this building,” Fair said.
A neighboring business, The Orpheum, decided to close permanently after the fire and now operates as a mobile tailoring business. Fair and his team purchased the building and plan to expand laterally, occupying that space in addition to their former location.
While the upstairs space will no longer be available, indoor seating will increase from 48 to 70.
A bigger evolution
The expanded space is allowing Fair and his team to reevaluate previous challenges – mainly size and storage – while focusing on equipment and overall improvements.
Though Fair does not currently have a commercial space, he has used the time to experiment with new ideas, including taking a Viennoiserie class at the San Francisco Baking Institute last year.
“I’m a fiddler. I’m always looking to see what step along the process could lead to an improvement. There’s always a way to do something a little bit different or learn a new technique or concept that can lead to a better outcome,” Fair said.
The former space did not allow for a walk-in cooler or a temperature-controlled area suitable for lamination, a technique that involves repetitively folding and intermittently chilling pastry dough. The new space will include those features, along with a deck oven and improved gelato production facilities.
“Lamination was really the last hurdle I was looking to overcome in the former space,” Fair said. “And being able to have a new gelato display is huge for us. It was really hard to maintain consistency some days.”
Looking ahead
Customers can expect the return of familiar favorites such as pizza by the slice, lattes and gelato, along with a more expansive menu.
With the addition of a walk-in cooler, the team plans to make croissants and other pastries in-house. They will also offer whole pizzas, introduce draft beer and carafes of wine, and launch a small house-made pasta program.
“I really want to expand on dinner and what it means to still have a very comfortable place to come hang out and eat, as well as just lounge,” Fair said.
Customers can also expect many returning staff members.
“We still have a staff text thread, and I try to see as many people as possible because as much as that space was the Gelateria, it was the staff that really made it,” Fair said. “Without them, it was nothing.”
Keeping the dream alive
Fair is targeting a tentative reopening in early 2027 but hopes to return on a smaller scale sooner. Pending access to production space, he is working to provide mobile gelato and coffee services in the near future.
“The gelato cart is made in Italy, so who knows how long that could take to get here, and I also need to find a place where I can make and store the product,” Fair said. “But the coffee cart could be much more immediate.”
Fair acknowledges the unpredictability of the timeline but remains encouraged by continued community support.
“There are so many great options in this city, and I’m humbled that we were considered a crowd favorite, especially in the neighborhood. It’s even more humbling to see so many people still supporting us after all this time,” Fair said. “I think in the near future we might have other asks, especially as we near the opening and come up short here or there. But for now, just keep the dream alive.”