Rita’s Water Ice: Sales Are Anything But Frozen at This Italian Ice Franchise

In the northeast Rita’s Water Ice Franchises are only open seven months each year, and close for the winter. The Countdown for spring has begun. To get the exact time left to spring click here.

Rita’s franchises sell various flavors of Italian ice, including cherry, lemon and mango, to customers hungry for a treat. At Rita’s, Italian ice — which has a long history as a summer favorite in the mid-Atlantic region of the country — is made by mixing fresh fruit with ice and is served in a cup. Rita’s features Ices, Cones, Shakes and other Cool Stuff. Rita’s Italian Ices are made fresh daily and available in more than 30 different flavors. Rita’s old-fashioned Frozen Custard, available in chocolate and vanilla, can be served in either a cone or a cup.

Rita’s famous Gelati provides frozen dessert fans with the best of both worlds with its layers of Italian Ice and Frozen Custard. Rita’s Misto, the coolest name in shakes, is a blend of Italian Ice and creamy custard that, when blended, forms a refreshing treat that can be enjoyed on the go. Rita’s also offers Cream Ices for those who prefer a treat that is smoother and richer than Italian Ice, but not as heavy as traditional ice cream.

Rita’s has specialized in Italian Ices right from the opening of it’s first location in the summer of 1984 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania . Rita’s then added their second core product, Old-fashioned Frozen Custard in 1992. Since then Rita’s has introduced three additional core products that are a combination of Italian Ice and Custard, including Rita’s layered Gelati, the Misto Shake and their newest creation, the Blendini.

In the months preceding the grand opening of the first Rita’s store, Bob Tumolo and his mother, Elizabeth, were busy experimenting on recipes for Italian water ice. A fresh-squeezed lemon here, some chunks of fruit there - eventually the Tumolo’s found themselves with quite possibly the best Italian Ice they had ever tasted.

That Friday in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, the response was overwhelming - people really seemed to love it. Word of mouth spread like Italian Ice on a hot summer sidewalk. In 1985, Bob’s brother John Tumolo joined the business, and a second location was added in 1987. By 1989, the family decided to franchise its stores.

In May of 2005, Rita’s was purchased by Pittsburgh-based McKnight Capital Partners under the direction of CEO Jim Rudolph. Today Rita’s is the nation’s largest Italian Ice chain with more than 400 stores and an aggressive growth plan of 1,500 stores by 2,010.

Chiefly targeting customers between the ages of 18 to 45, the company relies heavily on family traffic. Units located in high-traffic locations with a mixture of office and residential populations help distribute sales more evenly during the lunch and dinner dayparts.

Rita’s units typically are closed during the winter months each year, especially in the Northeast. Seasonal operation gives franchisees the opportunity to work really hard for seven months and then to have time off. In addition to helping attract franchisees, seasonality also creates a buzz for the product. The fact that Rita’s is closed for a period of time creates pent-up excitement in the spring.

Rita’s units are required to open their windows on March 20, the first day of spring, and most remain open through September. On March 20, the company launches the warm-weather months by offering customers a free medium ice. Rita’s promotion has become synonymous with spring because customers know Rita’s is going to be open.

When Rita’s opens spring has arrived.

Learn more about Rita’s Water Ice.

Cross Posted at: Let's Talk Franchising