Rita’s Italian Ice Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Chain Leader:

Rita’s, the nation’s largest Italian Ice chain, will mark the silver anniversary of its founding on May 4. The company will celebrate this milestone throughout the month of May in its more than 500 locations across 17 states.

The story of Rita’s 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. Tumolo opened his first store in Bensalem, Pa. and named the business after his wife, Rita. Although Bob began by selling the “made fresh daily” Italian Ice from a small porch window, Tumolo started franchising the business, and by 1996, Rita’s had grown to more than 100 stores in nine states.

In May 2005, a new era in the evolution of Rita’s began. McKnight Capital Partners, a private equity group led by Jim Rudolph and his brother Bill Rudolph, purchased the then 300+ store Italian Ice concept, and Jim Rudolph started to lead the organization as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Under Rudolph’s leadership, Rita’s has continued to see unprecedented growth. From that single “store” on a front porch in Bensalem, PA, Rita’s Italian Ice has expanded exponentially throughout the Mid- Atlantic Region and beyond. Today, there are 550 Rita’s locations in 17 states.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *