Manny’s Gelato and Café to close for business after six years of serving the community

HUNTLEY — On Jan. 3, Manny’s Gelato and Café, located at 11808 Main Street, announced via its Facebook page that after six years of serving the community, it would be closing its doors on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Café owner, Manny Stier, did not state a specific reason as to why he decided to close his establishment, only citing that it was to “start a new journey.”

Manny’s Gelato and Café first opened for business back on Jan. 30, 2017, where locals praised its authentic blend of unique and freshly made Italian gelato flavors as well as its expansive selection of various food and drink items.

In a June 2020 interview with Fox 32 Chicago, Stier gave his gratitude to residents for their part in helping to keep Manny’s afloat during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Huntley’s the main reason that we’ve continued to do well throughout this. They’ve done a fantastic job in supporting us and all the changes that we’ve made and all the changes in general with all the coronavirus going on,” Stier said in his interview. “Our relationship with them is really important.”

Some locals speculate that the sudden closure of Manny’s Gelato may have had to do with the rising costs of rent, hiring employees, and maintaining food inventory, however, other residents suspect that Stier and his family simply wanted to move onto other ventures after their lease was up, which seems to be the most likely reason for the close.

“Thank you, Huntley, for a wonderful six years! You have opened your hearts, supported our small business as it grew, and we are forever grateful. We will miss this beautiful community and all of the wonderful people we’ve come to know here, and we will always miss all of the friendships we have made along the way,” wrote Stier on the Manny’s Gelato Facebook page.

In preparation for its closure, Manny’s Gelato and Café has since taken down its website, with the same being true for its email server.

After its closing announcement, residents began to share all the great times they’ve had at Stier’s establishment, while also voicing how sad they are about the news.

Despite the loss of a community staple, locals made sure to wish Stier and his family luck on whatever they decide to do in the future.

My Huntley News did not get a response when attempting to reach out to Stier for further details on the closing, though did get a short response when asking about potential plans for the future.

“It’s a mystery,” was the answer given by Stier via a message from the Manny’s Gelato Facebook page.