Downtown Cary gelato shop named best outside Italy by magazine

Downtown Cary’s Geluna Gelato turned a small storefront on East Chatham Street into a destination after The Local Palate named it the best gelato outside Italy. The recognition gave the shop a rare regional spotlight and put one of Cary’s independent dessert stops in the same conversation as far larger food destinations.

Geluna opened in Downtown Cary in 2022 at 111 East Chatham Street, tucked between Hank’s Downtown Dive and Di Fara Pizza. The shop is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday, a schedule that fits the steady evening-and-weekend traffic that downtown Cary businesses rely on. Its flavor case includes the classics that helped draw attention from the magazine, including stracciatella and sea-salt caramel.

The business is run by husband-and-wife owners Diana Diaz and Warwick Sheehan, who met while living in London and decided in 2017 to move to North Carolina and open a gelato shop. Downtown Cary says the couple studied in Bologna at Carpigiani’s Gelato University and trained with a master gelato maker, giving Geluna a level of formal Italian-style preparation that helps explain why the shop stood out beyond a local following.

That training is paired with a strong local supply chain. Geluna says it uses North Carolina producers whenever possible, including Homeland Creamery, Seal the Seasons, French Broad Chocolates, Big Spoon Nut Roasters, Spicewalla, King Cobra Apiary and the NC State Farmer’s Market. The result is a menu that mixes familiar Italian techniques with ingredients tied closely to Wake County and the broader state food economy.

For Cary, the recognition matters beyond bragging rights. A designation like best outside Italy can drive new visitors looking for walkable food stops, date-night desserts and a reason to linger on East Chatham Street. It also reinforces downtown Cary’s growing identity as a place where independent food businesses can build a reputation without being in central Raleigh. In a competitive suburban market, that kind of national visibility can translate into more foot traffic, stronger name recognition and a longer runway for the businesses clustered around the district’s core.