CasaGela Kingwood is taking shape as the first U.S. flagship for a new Italian gelato and coffee concept from the Shahini family, with a spring 2027 opening target. Now, a new state construction filing identifies where that debut is planned: 1345 Kingwood Drive, Suite A, at The Shoppes at Kingsgate.
The address connects the announcement to a bigger neighborhood story. CasaGela is planned beside the family’s Brooklyn Pizzeria, in space that property leasing materials indicate was once part of the former Mr. Gatti’s restaurant. A trademark application and a professional branding project also show how much groundwork preceded the construction filing.
CasaGela Kingwood location revealed at Kingsgate
CasaGela’s first-party announcement identifies Houston as its first U.S. market and Kingwood as its first U.S. flagship. Its public visitor page still says the exact address will be announced soon.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, registered October 2, fills in that missing detail. Project TABS2027002669 covers renovation of an existing commercial space at Kingsgate, with 2,500 square feet of work and an estimated construction cost of $250,000. It lists Alban Shahini as the tenant and AS&D, PLLC of Pearland as the design firm.
Although the state record uses a Houston mailing address, CasaGela identifies the flagship with Kingwood. The center fronts Kingwood Drive near Chestnut Ridge Road, with Aldi, Dollar Tree and Five Below among its major tenants.
Fresh gelato, Italian coffee and a full café
The planned experience extends from morning coffee to dessert. CasaGela says Italian chefs will churn gelato fresh in the store each day, with imported Italian coffee beans supporting the café. Breakfast, lunch, Italian desserts and freshly baked pastries round out the concept.
Its website highlights tiramisu, cannoli, Italian cakes and croissants alongside espresso drinks. That gives residents several reasons to visit: a coffee-and-pastry stop, a light meal or a scoop of gelato. These are the brand’s advertised offerings ahead of opening; a finalized opening-day selection has not been established in the materials reviewed.
The visitor information page also describes dine-in service and gelato to take home in pints or family trays. Full operating hours will be shared closer to opening.
The Shahini family’s restaurant connection
CasaGela identifies itself as family owned and operated under parent company Shahini Holdings. The family already has a substantial Houston-area restaurant presence through Brooklyn Pizzeria.
The University of Houston’s Bauer College alumni business directory identifies Alban Shahini, a 2010 business graduate, as Brooklyn Pizzeria’s owner. The profile describes the Shahini family’s focus on New York-style Italian food and food prepared from scratch.
Brooklyn Pizzeria’s current official directory lists 12 locations, including Kingwood at 1345 Kingwood Drive. For CasaGela Kingwood, that means the new brand is preparing to launch alongside an established family restaurant operation.
The construction records reinforce that connection. Brooklyn Pizzeria’s earlier Kingsgate filing covered 2,562 square feet and an estimated $200,000 renovation, scheduled for January through March 2026. Both projects name AS&D as designer, John Ridington as the filer and Thomas Kari as the accessibility specialist responsible for reviewing accessibility requirements.
A new chapter for the former Mr. Gatti’s space
Longtime residents may recognize the address. A 2021 announcement carried on Mr. Gatti’s website identified 1345 Kingwood Drive for its Kingwood pizza buffet and arcade.
By 2024, landlord leasing materials marketed a vacant, previously used restaurant space there at 5,550 square feet. The Blue Ox Group’s September 2026 leasing brochure now places Casa Gela and Brooklyn Pizzeria next to each other, labeling their spaces at 2,988 and 2,562 square feet, respectively.
Those landlord figures total the former restaurant’s 5,550 square feet. Together, the plans indicate that the larger restaurant space was divided between the two concepts.
One measurement needs to stay distinct: the landlord labels CasaGela’s portion at 2,988 square feet, while the newer state filing covers 2,500 square feet of renovation work. The reviewed records do not explain that difference.
A brand with a history before construction
CasaGela describes the concept as “years in the making.” Public records support a development history reaching back well before the current construction filing.
A CASAGELA trademark application was filed November 26, 2024, by Deerbrook Aim LLC. It listed gelato, bakery goods, coffee beans and related retail services. The application establishes that the brand name was in development nearly two years before the October 2026 project registration; it does not establish when the Kingwood location was selected.
A 2026 Studio Zak portfolio adds another piece of that preparation. The design studio developed CasaGela’s visual identity and packaging, including gelato pints, cups and cup holders. It explains the name as combining casa, Italian for house, with a shortened reference to gelato, expressed through the idea of a “House of Delight.”
When CasaGela Kingwood could open
CasaGela Kingwood is targeting spring 2027, according to the brand. The filed construction schedule runs from December 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027, broadly aligning with that target.
April 30 is an estimated construction-completion date, not a confirmed grand-opening date. CasaGela says it will announce the opening day and celebrations later. For Kingwood, the next milestone is seeing the family’s new gelato-and-coffee flagship move from plans and promotional images into the Kingsgate storefront.