By Mary Alice Murphy

Mitch Hellman and Starr Belsky decided 11

He said he has been putting in at least nine hours a day, six to seven days a week. "We want to go out in style. I hope it's soon, because we are going into our busiest time of year, with the Tour of the Gila, the Blues Festival and the hot days of summer. If someone buys it soon, they will be able to make back their investment quickly."

Hellman said, in addition to the business and its equipment, "I'll be working with them in the store for their first 30 days. And for the next 60 days, I will be available by phone or email to help with any questions."

"My feeling is that things in Silver City are becoming more optimistic for businesses," Hellman said. "We're a proven business."

He said he ran a profit-and-loss spreadsheet through December 2014. "We've always been in the black. I thought of putting in coffee to add to the business, but I didn't want to compete with our wonderful next-door neighbor, Java the Hut. Now that Marcia has retired, there is no stopping the next person from adding coffee drinks to the list of options. There is a lot of profit potential. More money should be invested in the business. There were things I didn't do, and there are needs that the new person can do."

When asked why they had started the business in Silver City, Hellman said: "We knew we wanted to live in Silver City. Unemployment was bad then, so I decided we would have to create our own business. I did my homework, and no one in town was making the product, so I realized we wouldn't have much competition. The business model made sense as a one-man operation, requiring a minimum number of people to run it."

"For several years, we were the only gelato business in the state," Hellman said. "Now we're the longest-running gelato business in New Mexico.

"We have developed a following," he continued. "We are #2 on Trip Advisor, and have been mentioned in Frommer's, Fodor and the Moon Guide. Zora O'Neill, the Moon Guide editor for New Mexico, comes to visit us. Her article in the New York Times, which had Alotta Gelato in the first paragraph, has brought in at least 500 people who said they read the article. Zora knows us foodies in Silver City. We are now a destination."

Just to reassure people, Hellman said: "We're not sick; we're not broke; we're not leaving Silver City; and neither of us nor the business is in debt."

He invited interested parties to call him for more information or with questions at 575-534-4995 or email him at gelatomaster@alottagelato.com

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.