1984
550
$100,000
$35,000
$643,094
No
The story of Rita's Italian Ice dates back to the sweltering summer of 1984 when Bob Tumolo, a former Philadelphia firefighter, decided to open a small Italian Ice business to augment his income. He opened his first shop in Andalusia, PA and named the business after his wife, Rita.
Starting from a porch home in 1984, Rita's has been dedicated to serving up a big dose of happiness with its freshly made, delicious treats in a fun-filled atmosphere, and over thirty years later, it is still spreading "Ice, Custard, Happiness!" We’re passionate about delivering super-friendly guest service and providing our guests with a cool, smooth, delightfully happy treat experience. Our business is treats. Our mission is happiness! Each shop is individually owned and operated by someone from your community, making it an honor to serve you as our neighbor.
Rita's offers many delicious frozen treats that combine our famous Italian Ice and award-winning Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard which is made fresh daily at each location. The Rita’s experience has become a cultural phenomenon, thanks to remarkably loyal guests.
Rita's opened its first shop back in 1984 with the simple intention to offer the best-tasting, highest quality Italian Ice around. Today, Rita's owns the Italian Ice Category. With 600 locations and growing, Rita’s has received top rankings from highly regarded industry publications – from Entrepreneur Magazine to the Wall Street Journal – making Rita’s an award-winning business opportunity.
Established: 1984
First Unit Franchised: 1989
Franchised Units: 550
Company Owned Units: 0
States Available: All
Canada Franchises: No
International Franchises: No
Financial Assistance Provided: Yes
Site Selection Assistance: Yes
Lease Negotiation Assistance: Yes
Recruiting Assistance: No
Cooperative Advertising: No
Training:
The Initial Training consists of online training, 5 to 6 days of training at the Cool University training facility located in Trevose, Pennsylvania and at least 40 hours of in-shop training at a Certified Shop.
The Franchisee has four major responsibilities for the success of the system:
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Opening a Rita’s Italian Ice franchise requires a strong personal commitment and active involvement in store operations. Franchisee approval is based on a number of factors, including integrity, personal and financial qualifications, a high level of energy, positive attitude, dedication and leadership abilities. To ensure that our franchisees will be able to qualify with both lenders and landlords, we require that potential franchisees interested in a single store opportunity have at least $ 100,000 in liquid capital and a $300,000 net worth.
Cash Investment: $100,000
Total Investment: $278,333-$643,094
Minimum Net Worth: $300,000
Franchise Fee: $35,000
Royalty: 6.50%
Ad: 3%
Item 19: Yes
Average Number of Employees: 15
Visa Candidates: Yes
Passive Ownership / Semi-Absentee Ownership: Yes
Home-Based: No
B2B: No
Master Franchise Opportunities: No
Veteran Discount: Yes 20%
