North Adelaide may just be the nation’s new home of sweet treats after Shadow Baking and Gelato Messina opened the doors to their dual flagship store.

Located on O’Connell Street, the doors to the store opened on April 17 and marked a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the two brands.

Messina founder Nick Palumbo told Glam Adelaide the area had been chosen because it had a lot of cultural heritage and history.

“…along with the design quality and finishes within the development at 88 O’Connell Street,” he said.

“Having such stellar retail neighbours also made it an easy decision; we’re in good company.”

The flagship’s design took inspiration from the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, and was brought to life by Vie Studio. Titled ‘Two Delights’, the end result is a whimsical  yet sophisticated design that also pays homage to the suburb’s historic charm.

There is woven vinyl flooring that climbs the walls of Shadow Baking, with the entrance centred around a theatrical reception oven, while Gelato Messina has bright orange tiles that sit alongside warm timber and stone. Then, there is a cinematic door that connects the two stores and allows for seamless interaction.

Shadow Baking founder Tom Mitchell said the collaboration between the two brands was his favourite part of the new store.

“Our products and menus overlap and complement each other in so many ways, we can’t wait to collaborate on desserts and drinks,” he said.

“…starting with gelato-stuffed brioche that will be available exclusively from North Adelaide.”

Shadow Baking was founded by three former Messina head chefs – Tom Mitchell, Florian Fritsch, and Remi Talbot –  with the bakery initially setting up shop inside Messina’s HQ at Marrickville in Sydney back in 2023.