CILO Lab gelato and tea shop opens in downtown Bellevue

A gelato and tea shop called CILO Lab opened at The Bellevue Connection on 106th Avenue Northeast, taking over a storefront left empty when boba chain Don't Yell at Me closed.

The shop at 550 106th Ave. NE, Suite 150, is holding a grand opening Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13, with a buy-one-get-one deal: any purchase gets a second item free. CILO Lab is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Customers who park in the Bellevue Connection garage get three hours of validated parking.

Don't Yell at Me, a Taiwanese-origin boba chain that also operated on Capitol Hill, near the University of Washington and in Kirkland, opened at the building in 2024, according to the Downtown Bellevue Network. The exact date of its closure has not been reported.

CILO Lab makes gelato on site and rotates flavors by season. Current options include sea salt lemon, pistachio, London Fog, Da Hong Pao, Uji matcha and jasmine cloud, served in cups or waffle bowls.

The shop sources its matcha from Uji, Japan.

Any drink on the menu can become a float with a scoop of gelato. Other offerings include brown sugar pearl milk, a creme brulee latte, a strawberry smoothie topped with cheese foam and two affogato options.

The company describes its concept as pairing Italian gelato technique with Asian tea culture, using teas such as Taiwanese high-mountain oolong, Japanese sencha and Yunnan pu-erh.

Turnover at The Bellevue Connection

CILO Lab is the latest in a string of tenant changes at the four-story mixed-use building, which totals 227,811 square feet, according to owner Unico Properties. Itadaki Yakiniku, a Japanese steakhouse that opened in September 2024, closed in August 2026, the Downtown Bellevue Network reported.

BA Artisan Bakehouse opened in January. Men's Wearhouse also occupies retail space there.

Fox & Kit, a coffee shop and indoor playground concept from interior designers Devin and Kyoko Westberg, was still planning to open at the building as of Sept. 7. It would be the brand's first Washington location.

Downtown Bellevue already has several bubble tea competitors, including HEYTEA at The Bravern, CHICHA San Chen in Bellevue Square, Molly Tea Bellevue and TeaByDo at Belgate Plaza.