Oggi Gelato Brings Artisanal Italian Gelato to Church Street: Grand Opening Set for October 10

Oggi Gelato is opening its first New Jersey shop at 40 Church Street in downtown Montclair, the space most recently home to the Oasis clothing boutique. The grand opening is set for Saturday, October 10, 2026, and Montclair Local reported the date on September 28. For families, weekend visitors, and anyone weighing a move to town, it is one more sign that the walkable blocks around Church Street keep getting more to do.

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What's opening and where

The Montclair shop is Oggi Gelato's first location outside Connecticut, where the brand already runs stores in Norwalk and Fairfield. It serves traditional artisanal gelato, handcrafted daily with quality ingredients and no preservatives or artificial additives, at the former Oasis space on the east side of Church Street. The location was first reported by The Montclair Girl earlier this year, and the October 10 grand opening was confirmed by Montclair Local in its late-September openings and closings roundup.

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Why downtown retail momentum matters

New business openings tell you something real about a downtown when you are house shopping. Each new tenant means foot traffic, evening energy, and other owners willing to invest in the same block. Montclair has been adding destinations up and down Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street through 2026, from the gift shop A Wonderful Time that opened October 1 at 488 Bloomfield Avenue to this first-in-New-Jersey gelato shop, and the pattern matters for more than just dessert plans.

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What it means for shoppers and buyers

• A stronger reason to linger. A new dessert destination on Church Street adds to the afternoon and weekend rhythm that makes Montclair's downtown an easy place to spend time without a car.
• A signal, not a statistic. One shop doesn't move home values by itself, but a steady stream of new retail says the neighborhood's economics are working, which is the kind of thing lenders and appraisers notice over time.
• Worth a visit before you buy. If you are comparing Essex County towns, spend a Saturday in Montclair: walk Church Street, grab a gelato at the new spot, and see whether the pace fits the life you are planning.

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The bottom line

Montclair's downtown keeps adding the kind of small, independent places that make a town feel lived-in, and Oggi Gelato's October 10 opening is the latest example. For buyers the lesson is simple: look at what is opening, not just what is for sale, when you judge a neighborhood. If you want an honest tour of the downtowns and neighborhoods I cover in Bloomfield, West Orange, and Montclair, I am happy to walk them with you. No pressure, just the local picture.