What Makes Dojo Different

According to the traditional definition, a dojo is a space where individuals practice a process to pursue excellence. Daily we craft—from scratch—fresh gelati and sorbetti in our Northside kitchen. Even our inclusions (ice cream nerdspeak for any pastry chunks added to our gelati during creation), such as the cake for our Gooey Buttercake gelato and the chocolate cookies in the Milk-n-Cookies are created by us, from scratch.

Since opening our first cafe location in 2009 at Historic Findlay Market in downtown Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati, our mission has been to create the most distinctive Italian-style ice creams and coffees you can experience. You can visit Dojo Gelato at our Findlay Market or Northside locations, along with our roaming gelato truck and carts throughout the Tri-State area. 

About The Owner

When Michael Christner arrived in Cincinnati from Austin in 2006, he discovered the city was missing a space for authentic Italian-style ice creams. Michael opened his first Dojo Gelato location in the summer of 2009 at historic Findlay Market, in Over-the-Rhine, fulfilling a lifelong dream to create his own gelateria and kitchen where the focus was placed on freshness and quality, not quantity. Before starting Dojo Gelato, Michael trained in traditional gelato styles at Carpigiani in New York and attended Penn State's storied Ice Cream Short Course at the Berkey Creamery.

Dojo is known for its fresh gelati, creative flavors, and dedication to providing guests with unique ice cream and coffee experiences. We create all of our gelato and sorbetti from scratch in our Northside kitchen in small batches.