Rita's Italian Ice facts for kids
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Trade name
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Rita's Italian Ice |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Dessert shop |
| Genre | Quick Service |
| Founded | May 4, 1984 |
| Founder | Bob Tumolo |
| Headquarters |
Trevose, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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Number of locations
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594 |
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Area served
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30 U.S. states |
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Key people
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Kirk Griswold, Chairman Linda Chadwick, President & CEO |
| Products | Italian ice frozen custard frozen treats |
| Revenue |  US$51 million (2019) |
| Owner |
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Number of employees
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5,000 (2021) |
Rita's Italian Ice is a popular American restaurant chain. It started in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is known for its delicious Italian ice (also called "water ice") and frozen custard. They also offer many other frozen treats and special creations.
Rita's opened its first store in 1984 in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania. This town is just outside of Philadelphia. The company slowly grew throughout the Philadelphia region. Eventually, they opened locations in other areas too. Today, Rita's main office is in Trevose, Pennsylvania. As of June 2025, the chain has 594 restaurants in 30 states.
Contents
How Rita's Started and Grew
The Beginning in 1984
Rita's was founded in May 1984 by Bob Tumolo. He was a firefighter in Philadelphia. Bob used a special recipe from his mother. He made it even better by adding real fruit and more flavor. He named the restaurant after his wife, Rita Tumolo.
At first, Rita's called its product "water ice." This is a common name for Italian ice in the Philadelphia area. By the summer of 1984, Bob had opened a second store. In 1989, his family decided to let other people open Rita's stores. This is called franchising.
Changes in Ownership
In May 2005, a company called McKnight Capital Partners bought Rita's. They saw how much the company could grow. They made plans to expand Rita's even more. In April 2007, Rita's moved its main office to Trevose, Pennsylvania.
In 2011, another company, Falconhead Capital, bought a large part of Rita's. They appointed Thomas Christopoul as the new chairman. In January 2017, Argosy Private Equity and MTN Capital took over Rita's from Falconhead Capital.
Expanding Around the World
In 2013, Rita's opened its first store outside the United States. This store was in Shenzhen, China. This was a big step for the company!
Free Italian Ice Day
Rita's has a fun tradition. They give out a free regular-sized Italian ice on the first day of Spring. This tradition started in 1984 and continued until 2019. After a short break in 2020 and 2021, it started again in 2022.
Fun Partnerships and Flavors
Rita's has worked with other companies to create exciting new flavors.
- In 2010, Rita's teamed up with Just Born. They offered a special Peeps Brand Marshmallow Candy flavored ice.
- In July 2009, Rita's worked with Cadbury. They introduced a Swedish Fish Italian ice flavor.
- On June 29, 2012, Rita's partnered with Cadbury again. This time, they released a Sour Patch Kids Red water ice flavor.
Other companies have also helped create Rita's flavors. These include Alex's Lemonade Stand for "Alex's Lemonade" water ice. Nabisco helped with "Oreo Cookies and Cream" cream ice and "Mint Oreo" cream ice.
See also
