About Rita's Italian Ice

There are dozens of ice cream franchises where people can get a scoop of butter pecan. Frozen custard — prized for its dense, creamy texture and intense flavors — is a rare offering. Finding silky-smooth Italian ice? Fuggetaboutit! Unless you already have a Rita’s nearby, great Italian ice is going to be hard to find.

Customers choose Rita’s because we are a friendly business with unique frozen treats. In the Northeast, we are an institution, thanks to three decades of happy customers who know what to expect. In newer markets, we have a unique advantage: We are unique!

This is a huge advantage in the nearly $30 billion frozen desserts industry because it helps franchisees win customers who are eager to try new things.

Maria Finley is a great example. She opened her first Rita’s in late 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She experienced Rita’s for the first time while attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “I tasted it,” Finley told Baton Rouge’s 225 Magazine, “and I was like, … What is this, and why don’t we have it in Louisiana?’”

Her customers agree. Carly A. left this Yelp review: “WOW! WOW! WOW! So the hype around this place has had me wanting to try it since they opened. I live across town, so I’m never out that way to stop by. I finally made a point to go by there for the first time last night and it was worth the almost 30 minute drive from my house! AMAZING. From the moment we walked in, the staff was so friendly and helpful. They have a great selection of flavors and treats! I got the gelati with cotton candy shaved ice and vanilla custard. The custard had the perfect texture and flavor and the shaved ice was the most flavorful frozen treat I’ve ever had. My husband got just the Georgia peach shaved ice and he absolutely loved it. They have so many different options of desserts and I can’t wait to go back and try more!”

Why Rita's Italian Ice?

Guests love trying a unique, new frozen dessert franchise. The key to growth is introducing customers to the brand.Rita’s provides extensive marketing support to help franchisees get the word out about their unique frozen dessert franchise. This includes help staging a crowd-pleasing grand opening event, planning local marketing strategies and leveraging time-tested promotional materials designed to build and sustain interest in your shop.

“You have to keep advertising to keep guests coming in, and that’s something that Rita’s really helps with. We keep our name in the front of people’s minds,” says Jordan Kasner, a multi-unit franchisee in Philadelphia.

The good news for Rita’s franchisees is that our potential guests include everyone, in all different age groups and demographics, says Senior Vice President of Marketing Lisa White.