Vovito Caffe and Gelato owners, Ariff and Shairose Gulamani, had a vision. The two Eastside entrepreneurs wanted to open a new business in Bellevue that would offer premium quality food and beverage offerings at a non-premium price. The Gulamani’s worked on the concept for a year and a half, researching the best in local coffees, teas and gelato while narrowing down the ideal location to set up shop.

The result was Vovito Caffe and Gelato now open at The Shops at The Bravern.

“It was a long process, but a very worthwhile one,” Shairose said. “We wanted to be confident that when you purchased a cup of coffee from Vovito, it would be one of the best cups of coffee you have ever tasted.”

In order to accomplish this goal, the Gulamani’s invested in top of the line Slayer Espresso machines. The new shop owns two of only four such machines in Washington.

“These are very high-end machines and are fully manual so our baristas have the ability to control the grind, temperature and the exact pour time,” Ariff explained. “This makes for a perfect shot of espresso by extracting the richest flavors out of the coffee bean.”

Beyond coffee, Vovito also serves a full selection of gourmet teas, chai beverages and 26 different gelato flavors with a new featured flavor rotated monthly. The gelato is made fresh daily along with fresh salads and paninis.

“We made sure give 101 percent when approaching our gelato, coffee and food in terms of quality. There were many nights were we would question opening in this economy, but we believe in our product,” Shairose said. “With any business, when you start out, it is a calculated risk, but we did the math so to speak and we felt we had a quality concept that would be unique to Bellevue and the Eastside. So far we have received a very positive reception.”

The name Vovito, derives from the popular Italian name Vito, meaning alive.

“We take a lot of pride in our product and the team we have built here,” Shairose said, adding, “We have a wonderful staff here who I refer to as the Vovito family.”

Vovito Caffe and Gelato has two main entrances on the ground level of The Shops and includes an interior space defined by rich marble, clean lines and modern furniture in neutral hues.

“A lot of time and thought went into every detail about Vovito, from the drinks we serve to the seating and lighting. We took our time to make sure everything would be of the highest quality and would offer a unique but very welcoming experience,” Shairose explained. “Bellevue has really changed its landscape and is now becoming the place to be whether it’s the restaurants, hotels or beautiful shops like here at The Bravern. For Ariff and I, it was a really natural reaction to open in Bellevue.”

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.

Vovito Caffe & Gelato is located at 700 110th Avenue NE, Suite 195 in Bellevue, www.vovito.com.