Rita's Italian Ice Achieves Impressive Growth and Industry Recognition in 2024
Nation's Leading Italian Ice and Frozen Custard Franchise Celebrates 39 Openings and New Hires; Primed for Continued Growth in 2025
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, a beloved brand known for its delicious Italian Ice and Frozen Custard treats, is celebrating the "sweet taste of success" following another successful year in 2024, marked by major growth milestones, and of course plenty of ice, custard and happiness. Over the past year, Rita's Italian Ice opened 39 new shops, including 10 international shops, for a total of 575 operating locations. The company continued its rapid growth in existing markets while expanding its reach in the Midwest, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, among other states.
"We are committed to driving growth and expansion across key markets, enhancing our product offerings through innovative design and development, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to further elevate the customer experience," said CEO Linda Chadwick. "Together, these initiatives will position us for sustained success and the continued market leadership we've seen for 40 years and counting."
Rita's Italian Ice Recognized as a Leader in Dessert & Franchising
Rita's Italian Ice received recognition from industry leaders, emphasizing the brand's commitment to excellence and innovation in the dessert space. The brand received two national awards and rankings based on its success in 2024, including:
Ranked #273 overall in the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, catapulting 187 spots from last year
Ranked #260 overall in the 2024 Franchise Times Top 400 jumping up 17 spots from last year
New Hires in 2025
Rita's Italian Ice added two new key hires in 2025. Lawrence Brown was brought on as Chief Development Officer. Brown brings with him many years of experience in the restaurant franchise space, previously working with brands like Burger King, Fat Tuesday, and Tim Hortons. Most recently, Brown served as SVP, Head of Franchising & Development for Tide Services before joining Rita's Italian Ice.
Carmela Hughley was also appointed as SVP of Marketing Insights and Innovation. Hughley brings over 25 years of leadership experience in retail, operations, and consumer brand growth to the new role. Most recently, as Vice President of Field Operations at Madison Reed, Hughley led the transformation of their Hair Color Bars, driving the expansion from 6 to 87 locations in just three years.
Rita's signature Italian Ice is made fresh daily on-site and is available in a rotating daily selection from over 80 flavors. Other menu items at Rita's include creamy Frozen Custard, signature Gelati, Concretes, Frozen Coffee, Rita's Blenders™, Milkshakes and more.
Rita's continues to seek passionate entrepreneurs to expand its presence across the United States. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Rita's Italian Ice, please visit: http://www.ownaritas.com/.
About Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard:
Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard opened its doors in Bensalem, Pa. in 1984, and has been dedicated to spreading "Ice, Custard, Happiness!" ever since. Now, Rita's is the largest Italian Ice concept in the world with over 575 shops. Guests around the world visit Rita's to celebrate their everyday moments with freshly made cool treats in a fun-filled atmosphere. Known for its famous Italian Ice, made daily featuring real fruit, and award-winning Frozen Custard, Rita's serves a taste of happiness with each delicious treat. For more information about Rita's Italian Ice, please call 1-800-677-7482 or visit www.ritasice.com.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ritas-italian-ice-achieves-impressive-growth-and-industry-recognition-in-2024-302374270.html
SOURCE Rita's Franchise Company
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
UniCredit CEO says Commerzbank shares are now too far 'beyond the fundamentals' for a takeover offer
UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel on Wednesday told CNBC that the share price of potential takeover target Commerzbank is currently too prohibitively expensive for a merger deal. UniCredit has built a surprise stake in Commerzbank of 28% since September through derivatives and has the European Central Bank's authorization to hold up to 29.9% in the lender. When asked by CNBC's Annette Weisbach whether the Italian bank would proceed with an acquisition offer at premium to Commerzbank's current share value, Orcel said, "At this [share] level, we would not see value for our investors. Actually, we would not, we are very happy for the gain we've had on the 30[% stake], but we wouldn't see value for our investors." He stressed that UniCredit is presently "far away" from a merger bid with Commerzbank and would first seek a "constructive solution" to opposition from the German government. "Secondly, in our opinion the share price has gone well beyond the fundamentals. There is a lot of activity which is directed at keeping the share price at higher level than you see every day, but we're patient," Orcel said. CNBC has reached out to Commerzbank for comment.
Business of Fashion
6 hours ago
- Business of Fashion
The Attico Opens First Store, in Ibiza
Italian fashion label The Attico has opened its first standalone boutique in Ibiza. Located in a newly developed area of the island, the store is the first in a series of concept-driven flagships. A second opening is set for Seoul later this year, with a Milan store also planned. Founded in 2016 by Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, The Attico started with a focused collection of robe-inspired silhouettes. Nearly a decade later, the brand offers a full lifestyle range including ready-to-wear, swimwear and accessories — all made in Italy, aside from intricate embroidery, which is crafted in India. (Courtesy) Each of the planned stores will be inspired by different rooms of an imagined apartment — an approach that mirrors the brand's long-standing interplay between fashion and interiors. The Ibiza store will be a bathroom, complete with a functioning bathtub and vintage vanity details. 'Ibiza is our second home,' Tordini said. 'This space makes our world tangible for the first time — it's an extension of our aesthetic and the women we speak to.' The boutique also signifies a gradual move into direct-to-consumer retail. The Attico currently sells through its own e-commerce site and a wholesale network of over 270 global stockists. Backed since 2018 by Archive, the investment vehicle founded by Moncler executive Remo Ruffini, The Attico has been quietly building infrastructure, expanding its internal team to 50 people. 'We've chosen to grow slowly and deliberately,' said Tordini. 'We could have sold much more, but we've always favoured a scarcity strategy to protect the brand's long-term value.' (Courtesy) As the brand prepares for its third official runway show this September during Milan Fashion Week, it continues to balance its Italian roots with global aspirations. 'The Attico woman is multifaceted — unapologetic, style-driven, with a global outlook,' said Tordini. 'This store is a milestone. It's the first time people can walk into our world, one room at a time.' Learn more: How Three Influencers Built Legitimate Fashion Brands The influencers behind Totême, Midnight 00 and The Attico have built respected multi-million-dollar businesses without resorting to blatant associations with their personal brands.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beloved Italian Restaurant Suddenly Closes After 45 Years
It always hurts when a popular local restaurant shuts its doors for good, but it's really a tear-jerker when that spot has been in the community for decades. After a while, if a restaurant has been around for long enough, it starts to feel like home. The workers start to become friends, and everyone becomes a "regular." Now, a longstanding Italian restaurant is closing its doors after 45 years in operation, and while it's a sad thing, it's also to beautiful to think about the legacy that this place left behind. Italian restaurants are popular in the U.S. According to IBISWorld, there were 59,754 Italian restaurants in the U.S. in 2023, which is a 3.8 percent increase from 2022. They also note that number of Italian restaurants in the U.S. has been increasing, averaging a 3.8 percent annual growth between 2018 and 2023. But, today, there's one fewer. Moro's Dining, a classic Italian restaurant in Detroit, was a local favorite for 45 years. The spot was famous for its fine Italian food, white tablecloths and waiters dressed to the nines. But, the restaurant has closed. On June 8, those calling the restaurant were greeted with the message, "Hello, you have reached Moro's Dining. We are closed but would like to thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. Chef Thomas Moro is doing fine. Thank you for listening. Goodbye." Yelp has also listed the eatery as permanently closed. While this change happened quickly, it's a few years in the making. Back in 2022, the Detroit Free Press reported that the spot was for sale, with owner Thomas Moro telling the outlet, "I am over 70 years old. It's about time to throw the towel in." According to the restaurant's history included on their website, Moro was the owner and primary chef at the restaurant and began his culinary career at Mario's in Detroit's Midtown in the late-1960s. While Moro's Dining is gone, it's not Italian Restaurant Suddenly Closes After 45 Years first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
