PORTAGE PARK — The chilly weather may not have caught up yet, but the first day of spring meant a new birth for Mia's Gelateria Foccacceria, which scooped its first frozen treat of the season on Monday.
Opened in 2014, the combined cafe, bakery and sweet shop marked the Suparossa Group's third outpost for traditional Italian fare in the 4200 block of North Central Avenue.
A more casual setting than its sit-down sister restaurants Legno and Biaggo Events and Catering, Mia's was designed with an equal eye toward wide-eyed kids and hurried commuters, according to the shop's owner, Thomas Cirrincione.
"We figured it would be a good concept for the kids coming up from [Portage] Park after a game," Cirrincione said. "But we'll be open early in the mornings too, so you can walk in and pick up a coffee and an egg sandwich."
The cafe has enough tables and stools for about 30 patrons in its bright, carnival-themed space, with a full wall dedicated to jars of assorted candies customers can scoop by the ounce. Behind the counter is rotating display of fresh-baked pizzas, focaccia loaves, cannoli and tiramisu.
The restaurateurs acquired the storefront after its previous tenant, a dance studio, moved out several years earlier. Cirrincione predicted that being in the same building as the Academy of Creative Thinking day care would give parents access to a quick sugar rush for their kids, he said.
Mia's Gelateria Foccacceria, 4200 N. Central Ave., is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m weekdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends.
[Mia's Gelateria Focacceria]
