Our Story
A Family Recipe, Reimagined
Viva Gelato began with a restaurant, not a gelato counter.
In 1994, our family opened a restaurant in Vancouver that grew from a small grocery and bakery store into a beloved community staple restaurant — earning a local Readers' Choice Award for 12 consecutive years.
It was there that Masoud, one of our founders, first fell in love with gelato — training formally in the craft and spending nearly a decade perfecting recipes for the restaurant's dessert menu. What started as a side passion became something he couldn't stop refining.
Viva Gelato is the next chapter: a dedicated space built entirely around that craft, bringing small-batch, handcrafted gelato and sorbetto to Laguna Beach — made with the same standards of quality and hospitality our family has held for over 30 years.
The Founders
Meet Masoud & Mehrnaz
Masoud Shekarchi
Behind the scenes, Masoud crafted the desserts, managed shipments, and oversaw daily operations for our family's restaurant. His decade spent perfecting gelato recipes, backed by formal training in the craft, is the foundation Viva Gelato is built on.
Mehrnaz Oveisi
Mehrnaz was the face of our family's restaurant — building relationships with customers, making sure every guest felt welcome, and every experience felt special. That same hospitality is what she brings to the counter at Viva Gelato.
Together, Masoud and Mehrnaz spent 30 years running an award-winning family restaurant. Viva Gelato is their next chapter.
Small-batch. Handcrafted. Family-owned.