Plant Love Ice Cream to lay down roots in Gulfport
/“Plant love and watch it grow.” That’s the mantra at Plant Love Ice Cream, a 100% vegan, zero waste, and community driven vegan ice cream shop in downtown St. Pete.
Since its debut four years ago in the EDGE District, the locally owned creamery has won the hearts of locals and visitors alike thanks to their made-in-house vegan ice cream that’s so good you’d swear it’s not vegan.
Last year, St. Petersburg’s Plant Love Ice Cream was rated the best vegan ice cream shop in the United States and the 3rd best in the world according to Happy Cow, the country’s largest database for vegan restaurants and recipes.
Plant Love ICE CREAM WILL OPEN IN MAY AT 2901 Beach BLVD SOUTH UNIT 105 IN GULFPORT | St. Pete Rising
Now, Plant Love will be expanding with a second location.
This May, the vegan ice cream shop will lay down roots in downtown Gulfport at 2901 Beach Boulevard South, Unit 105 in a space formerly home to A Friend Who Bakes. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial represented the tenant in the lease transaction.
Plant Love Ice Cream was founded by mother and son duo, JoAnn and Matthew Matchin, who set out to create a vegan alternative to ice cream that was still creamy and delicious.
After gaining a substantial following in St. Pete and being blessed with recognition after recognition, Plant Love became a thriving business that planted love in the community, day after day.
PLANT LOVE ICE CREAM WAS FOUNDED BY by mother and son duo, JoAnn (right) and Matthew Matchin (center)
However, in September 2020, tragedy struck when Matthew passed away unexpectedly.
“He had so many ideas about Plant Love being a different kind of business, breaking the rules, and planting love into the community,” says JoAnn. “Matthew wanted everybody that walked through our doors gets a little medicine ball of happiness from us, whether it lasts 10 minutes or later. Matt’s goal was to make a difference in people's lives. So, I couldn't just close Plant Love after he passed.”
Closing Plant Love was never an option for JoAnn.
And so, Mama Jo, as the community has dubbed her, continues the Plant Love journey she and her son embarked on in 2019.
plant love ice cream opened its 953 central avenue location in downtown st. pete four years ago
Like the St. Pete location, all the ice cream served in Gulfport will be made in-house at the Gulfport shop.
“I'm getting an ice cream machine for Gulfport that is twice as big as the one I have in St. Pete,” said JoAnn.
Plant Love’s Gulfport outpost will offer twelve flavors daily – six will be available every day and the rest will rotate. JoAnn is also developing a flavor exclusively for the Gulfport location.
All the recipes at Plant Love have been developed by Matthew and JoAnn. “We make everything ourselves,” said Matthew in a 2019 interview with St. Pete Rising. “It’s so much fun to create new flavors — it’s alchemy!” Together they’ve come up with over 50 flavors.
PLANT LOVE ICE CREAM’S ST. PETERSBURG LOCATION HAS RECEIVED WIDE ACCLAIM INCLUDING BEING rated the best vegan ice cream shop in the United States and the 3rd best in the world according to Happy Cow.
A few of Plant Love’s most popular flavors include Espresso Latte, Cookie Butter, Mint Chip, Birthday Cake, Salted Caramel, Berry Bliss, and S’mores.
In addition to ice cream, Plant Love plans to offer ice cream sandwiches with cookies baked in-house.
“I’ve also been talking with Sumitra Espresso Lounge across the street about possibly offering affogatos together,” said JoAnn.
As for the future, JoAnn says there are plans to continue expanding.
“I want to make Plant Love a well-known brand. I dream about taking it nationwide,” she said. “For now, though, my older son, Jordan, will be opening one in Asheville, North Carolina and I would like to bring the concept to Sarasota and Tampa when the right spots become available.”
Plant Love Ice Cream will debut this May at 2901 Beach Boulevard South, Unit 105 in Gulfport, FL. For more information, follow Plant Love Ice Cream on Instagram and Facebook.
