Dojo Gelato
Photos by Kyle Wolff
When Michael Christner and his wife, Kimberly, moved to Cincinnati, from Austin, TX, in 2009, he felt something was missing in his new city: gelato. After working in the nonprofit sector for most of his career, he shifted gears and focused on opening a gelato business. “Who doesn’t love ice cream?” explains Christner.
Christner studied the art of gelato making from renowned programs in New York City and at Penn State University. He opened Dojo Gelato at Findlay Market and, a few years later, in his neighborhood of Northside. For Christner, Northside’s creative community was a natural spot for a second location. “That was sort of a no-brainer for us,” he says. “Northside chose us; we didn’t choose Northside.”
Like many restaurants, Dojo Gelato experienced changes due to the pandemic, one of which was having to source fewer ingredients from local businesses due to decreased availability. While they still get milk from Ohio farms and honey from their Findlay Market neighbor, Bee Haven, Christner decided to see this forced change in a positive light. “We started to take more pride in the fact that we make about 90% of our menu from scratch,” he says.
That includes the deliciously creamy and wittily named gelato flavors, and the coffee beans that pastry chef Doug Faulkner roasts. “The man is a maestro in the kitchen,” Christner says.
While the business is constantly evolving and learning, Christner remains steadfast in giving back to the local community through employment, fundraisers, and helping local Northside schools when possible—all the while making it a point to keep the business whimsical and accessible. “It’s ice cream, at the end of the day,” Christner says. “It’s not a painting in a museum; we’re allowed to have fun with it.”