La Dolce Vita Café Opens Second Location in Ocala at Paddock Mall

La Dolce Vita Caffé has opened its second Ocala location inside Paddock Mall, bringing handcrafted Italian gelato and specialty coffee to the shopping center near the food court.

The new café occupies the storefront at Space 490 on level 1, previously home to Starbucks and more recently Symmetry Coffee Company, according to the Paddock Mall store directory. The location opened earlier this month at 3100 SW College Road in Ocala.

What They Serve

The café offers a full menu of handcrafted Italian gelato alongside an espresso bar serving lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and flat whites. Specialty hot and iced teas include London Fogs and matcha lattes.

Food options include sweet and savory croissants, fresh pastries and focaccia sandwiches. Menu combinations include the Napoletano, Firenze and Siciliano, according to the business announcement.

Where to Find It

The new Paddock Mall location is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., matching standard mall hours.

The original La Dolce Vita Gelato & Pastry location remains open at Jasmine Plaza, 6146 SW Highway 200 in southwest Ocala. That location is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m.

A Growing Local Business

"La Dolce Vita has grown! We're excited to announce the opening of our second location," the business shared in an announcement to customers. "New location. New name. Same La Dolce Vita family, quality, and love."

The original Ocala shop at Jasmine Plaza established a local following as an artisan gelato shop offering house-made gelatos, cannolis, European-style coffees and baked goods, according to Only In Ocala.

For more details, visit La Dolce Vita Caffé online or follow the business on Facebook or Instagram.

Finding La Dolce Vita in Ocala

The Paddock Mall location brings the popular gelato shop to a high-traffic retail area, making it more accessible to shoppers who may have previously only visited the Highway 200 location. The combination of authentic Italian gelato and specialty coffee fills a niche in the mall's food options, particularly for those seeking something beyond typical fast-food fare.

For mall visitors, the new location offers a convenient stop while shopping, with its position near the food court making it easy to grab a coffee or gelato after a meal. The extended weekend hours until 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at the original location provide flexibility for evening outings.

The mall space has seen several changes over the past two years, with La Dolce Vita taking over the location that most recently housed Symmetry Coffee Company. This transition reflects the continued evolution of dining options at Ocala's primary shopping center.

The business joins other recent local openings in the Ocala area, including the Yummy House reopening at a new location and the Silver Springs Vintage Warehouse launch in east Ocala.

This expansion reflects a broader trend of established local businesses choosing to grow within the Ocala market rather than relocate elsewhere. For Ocala residents, it means more options for locally-owned dining experiences, whether they are looking for a sweet treat after shopping or a quality coffee drink in a different part of the city.

A second location means more customers searching for "gelato Ocala" and "coffee near me" can find this local favorite. If your business needs a website that captures local search traffic like this, Acelefayne builds small-business sites from $250 — see what's possible at acelefayne.com/services.