Chocomania’s sister location is just as sweet as its sibling.
Meltease, a new concept from sisters and co-owners Christine, Sharline, Iris, and Vanda Sawalha, along with their mother, Sahar, has opened alongside Chocomania at Fayette Mall.
“Meltease is a new concept we created as an extension of our dessert brand, Chocomania,” Sharline Sawalha said. “After years of working with desserts and seeing the growing interest in high-quality frozen desserts, we wanted to introduce something refreshing and different to the Lexington market.”
At Meltease, premium gelato is made fresh in-store using high-quality ingredients and offered in a variety of unique flavors.
“We also wanted to reflect part of our background and creativity, so many of the gelato options include Middle Eastern–inspired flavors and twists, alongside classic favorites,” Sharline Sawalha said.
Popular varieties include baklava and banana pudding.
Meltease also offers wholesale gelato, meaning it may soon appear on menus at area restaurants and dessert shops.
In other local food and beverage news:
Closures of Lexington-area restaurants reached double digits in recent weeks, including Joella’s Hot Chicken in Hamburg, Big City Pizza in Hamburg, and two Fazoli’s locations at 2195 Richmond Rd. (Idle Hour Shopping Center) and 2200 Nicholasville Rd. (Zandale Shopping Center).
Also closing were The Goose, 170 Jefferson St., and nearby Dingbats Pizza, 471 Jefferson St. Moving into the former Dingbats Pizza location is Rise Up! Pizza, which previously operated at Greyline Station and as a food truck.
Favor, 574 N. Limestone, announced it will close at the end of April. The space will soon become home to Mulberry Street Bar and Kitchen, an adjacent kitchen for the bar and arcade Arcadium.
Rotisserie chicken restaurant Pollo Azul, 503 South Upper St., has closed, but the space is expected to house a revived Two Keys Tavern, which has operated in several Lexington locations over the decades.
Sam’s Hot Dog Stand, 192 Lexington Green Circle, closed in mid-February, and Wok N Go, 426 Lexington Rd. in Versailles, will close April 26 as its owner retires, according to an announcement.
Parisa International Supermarket, 2626 Richmond Rd., has been renamed Lexington International Market. The store continues to sell many of the same items — including halal meats, produce, and specialty groceries — along with some new additions.
In the space most recently occupied by Bad Wolf Burgers, 1401 North Forbes Rd., a Colombian restaurant has opened: Rico & Casero, serving arepas, obleas, empanadas, and more.
As of early March, land was being cleared for a new Publix in Georgetown at Elkhorn Village Center, at the intersection of Frankfort Road and McClelland Circle.
Caffiends Coffee House has opened at 3801 Nicholasville Centre Dr., with the motto “Come for the Coffee, Stay for the Vibes.” The locally owned shop offers a variety of coffee drinks, other beverages, and food items.
A new Jaggers location is set to open April 22 at 3029 Richmond Rd., according to an announcement.
Modern Pantry has opened a second location at 519 W. Main St. in Lexington.
Offering seafood boils to go, Drippin Claw Seafood is a new addition to the shared kitchen at Southland Bagel, 428 Southland Dr.