A Toronto gelato maker that's a relative newcomer to the scene has been expanding rapidly as of late, and is now hoping to open up to 40 locations.

Nani's Gelato started out as a small mobile concept, but has expanded to storefronts and recently opened a new location in Liberty Village.

They're known not only for their expertly crafted gelato with a smooth and creamy texture, but also bold flavours like rose chai, sweet milk jalebi, mango saffron cheesecake, black sesame, Vietnamese coffee and lychee passion fruit.

Owner Parry Sohi actually started up Nani's Gelato in 2019, but was able to persevere to open a storefront in 2020.

Sohi is planning to open around 40 Nani's locations across the country over the next two years or so.

"The actual hope is to find 20 to 30 exceptional franchisees to put into exceptional locations. If we're able to find the combination faster, we have the resources and franchisee interest to expand at a more rapid pace," Sohi tells blogTO.

"Alternatively, if the timeline is extended and it takes longer, we'll be patient so that we are not compromising the brand for the sake of meeting growth benchmarks. Growing for the sake of growing is never the best strategy."

Aside from expanding within the GTA, he hopes to open lcoations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He's also planning to expand into the United States, and as of right now there's also another location of Nani's in Mississauga.

"We've had an overwhelming amount of interest from prospective franchisees south of the border," says Sohi. "I just got back from Italy where a big focus with our suppliers was on setting up the network we have in Canada in the U.S. for future franchisees."

The format of the shops should stay the same as the ones in Toronto, with an open concept kitchen so people can see gelato is made fresh on-site every morning.

"We are going to start releasing some new products towards the end of this year that I think our customers and franchisees are going to really love and embrace," says Sohi.