Tifa Chocolate & Gelato franchisee Sanaa Atkins is continuing to grow the brand’s presence in the Greater Houston area, building on the success of her first location in Webster and preparing to open a second shop in the Greenside mixed-use development. As things ramp up for her, she looks back at what got her to this point.
Atkins’ journey into the dessert business is rooted in family, entrepreneurship, and a lifelong appreciation for high-quality sweets. Originally from Morocco, Atkins grew up with loved ones in the bakery business, and after a successful business career in the marketing, design, finance, and consulting sectors, she found herself seeking that same sense of ownership.
“Back home in Morocco, I grew up with a family of entrepreneurs. My parents own bakeries in Morocco, so I grew up with sweet stuff,” Atkins told What Now in an exclusive interview. “After visiting them one year, I decided to quit consulting and come back to who I am as a person: being an entrepreneur.”
That decision eventually led her to Tifa Chocolate & Gelato. After seeing an advertisement for the brand on Facebook, Atkins began researching the concept and traveled to California to visit multiple locations, meet with the team, and make gelato from scratch
She spent time with the franchise’s co-owners, Sean Orr and Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Candice Orr, learning more about the brand’s approach to desserts. Atkins really appreciated the thought the company puts into ingredients, for a guilt-free indulgence.
“I love the quality sugar. I don’t like high fructose or anything that has to do with additives or artificial flavor,” she explained. “Tifa is a very good example of high-quality dessert.”
Atkins opened her first Tifa Chocolate & Gelato location at The Shops at Baybrook in Webster, located at 1065 W Bay Area Blvd., Suite 240. The location debuted last October and marked the brand’s first entrance into the Houston metro area. Atkins said the response from the community has been strong.
“We have regulars, people who come every weekend to get pints so that they can have it the whole week,” she added. “We have a really nice community, and the area brings people from all different suburbs around us.”
In addition to its handcrafted gelato and artisan chocolates from around the world, the business serves a wide range of other desserts — from macarons, truffles, and tiramisu to éclairs, brownies, and lemon bars — as well as coffee and soda. There are vegan options and no-sugar products too.
Now, Atkins is preparing to open her second franchise unit at 1085 Gessner Road, Suite 230, in Greenside, near Memorial City Mall. The upcoming location is a renovation project, transforming an existing commercial structure into the dessert café.
They just started construction on the shell space and are expecting that to last about three months. The new location will open by the end of this year. It is approximately 1,100 square feet, with a patio area, and is expected to employ around 11 team members.
As she looks ahead, Atkins hopes to continue expanding Tifa throughout the Houston metropolitan area, but wants to do it properly, evaluating each opportunity carefully to see what best fits the brand.
She said the Houston market’s diversity makes it the perfect place for a concept built around flavors from around the world.
“Tifa is not just a franchise. It’s an extension of myself. Every scoop of gelato, or any piece of chocolate or pastry, reflects the legacy of my family’s hospitality: multicultural flavor,” Atkins said.
