The home of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun love interest is about to be turned into a gelato store.
The breezy oceanside cottage linked to Maverick’s romantic interest — and, yes, his flight instructor — Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood is getting a brand-new purpose.
As Top Gun approaches its 40th anniversary this year, the Oceanside, California house is set to reopen as a gelato spot. An’s Gelato, part of the popular San Diego-based brand, is expected to welcome customers this summer.
The concept is being framed as something more than a simple dessert counter, with the team behind the project promising a themed atmosphere.
The vibe, according to a representative from Point Public Relations, which represents Mission Pacific Beach Resort where the cottage-turned-sweet-shop is based, is ‘a playful airport terminal-inspired experience’. Gelato flavours will be updated biweekly, she adds, in case you want to plan a return trip.
Visit Oceanside notes that the Queen Anne-style home — originally called the Graves house — dates back to 1888. It was first built as a vacation retreat for Dr. Graves and his wife, around 90 minutes south of Los Angeles (depending on traffic).
Over the decades, the cottage passed through several owners before being purchased by Lynn and William Rego in 1975 for $75,000, according to Visit Oceanside.
The Regos restored the property and painted it the now-iconic pastel blue. Not long after, it drew attention from Paramount Pictures, which rented the home during production of the film that helped launch Cruise into the spotlight as Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
Although the movie uses the house sparingly, the scenes are among the most recognizable — including the moment Maverick shows up conspicuously late to his first dinner date with Charlie after an intense beach volleyball game against Val Kilmer’s Ice.
Cruise went on to become a global star, returning to the role in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick and with Top Gun 3 also on the horizon. Kelly McGillis, who played Charlie, has mostly stepped away from public life in the years since.
The cottage itself, however, has stayed in the public eye. It’s now protected as a historic property and remains a popular stop for visitors. In 2020, it was relocated from its original site to Mission Pacific Beach Resort. From 2022 until January 2026, it operated there as the Pie Shop bakery.
“We have loved being your neighborhood sweets shop inside the Iconic Graves House since 2022. We are excited about what this new chapter will bring to our little handmade pies and look forward to sharing more with you soon,” the owners posted on its website.
Now, An’s Gelato is preparing to take over the landmark space. Co-founder Travis Bailey said the goal is to preserve the building’s history while making the interior feel surprising and contemporary.
“This house is over 100 years old and we want to respect that, but we also want to juxtapose the outside with what’s inside in a way that people won’t expect,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I like it when people walk past our shops and they do a double-take. You can see them figuring it out.”