A new Italian ice café opened in a North Suffolk shopping center last week.

U3C Italian Ice Café offers calorie-friendly, allergen-free and vegan-friendly fare under 300 calories. It is located in the Harris Teeter shopping center in Harbour View.

“We are excited to open the first U3C Italian Ice Café in Suffolk’s Harbour View,” said Nita Stith, co-owner of U3C, in a press release. “The Hampton Roads community encompasses what our company stands for and desires in our customer base, which is a strong interest in living a health-centered lifestyle, community support and small business advocacy.”

The café features Italian ice made with natural ingredients, hot organic loose-leaf teas, and a variety of baked goods and cupcakes. The café also features WiFi.

“I am a proud grandfather of a granddaughter who has to be very careful of what she eats because of her allergies,” said co-owner Ray Stith. “It was important to us to be able to offer children like her and adults alike an alternative that tastes great.”

The business held a ribbon-cutting on Friday with Mayor Linda T. Johnson.

“Eating healthy and having healthy choices is so important to the well-being of our citizens,” Johnson said. “It is great to hear that U3C Italian Ice Café caters to customers who follow strict nutritional requirements and it gives them the flexibility to again enjoy desserts and baked goods.”

Co-owners Victor and Dwane Stith added that the store’s treats provided an alternative to traditional dessert options.

“U3C Italian Ice is a family-built recipe with a guilt-free twist,” they said.