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Rita’s
began in 1984 when Bob Tumolo and his mother Elizabeth began experimenting with
Italian ice recipes made with pieces of real fresh fruit.In the years since, Rita’s has gone from a
family business on the front porch to a cultural phenomenon.Rita’s continues to offer the best-tasting,
highest-quality Italian Ice around, made with real fruit and available in more
than 30 different flavors.Rita’s has
also expanded its unique menu to include Cream Ices, Old-Fashioned Frozen
Custard, the signature Misto® shake, layered Gelati, and the Blendini™.
Year
after year Rita's has received top rankings by highly regarded industry
publications like Entrepreneur
magazineand The Wall Street Journal'sStartupJournal.com.Today, Rita’s is the leader in Italian ice retail, with more than 550 locations
in 18 states.
Operating Units
12/31/2006
12/31/2007
12/31/2008
Franchised
403
487
546
% Change
--
20.8%
12.1%
Company-Owned
4
8
6
% Change
--
100.0%
-25.0%
Total
407
495
552
% Change
--
21.6%
11.5%
Franchised as % of
Total
99.02%
98.38%
98.91%
Investment
Required
The
fee for a Rita’s Italian Ice franchise is $35,000.
Rita’s
provides the following range of investments required to open your initial
franchise. The range assumes that all items are paid for in cash. To the extent
that you choose to finance any of these expense items, your front-end
investment could be substantially reduced.
Item
Established Low
Range
Established High
Range
Franchise
Fee
$35,000
$35,000
Lease
Deposit
$1,000
$10,000
Leasehold
Improvements
$50,000
$150,000
Equipment
$60,000
$80,000
Computer
$500
$1,000
Licenses
and Permits
$100
$2,000
Signage
and Awnings
$5,000
$15,000
Prepaid
Insurance Premium
$1,500
$1,500
Initial
Inventory
$8,000
$14,000
Opening
Advertising
$2,500
$3,500
Advertising
Fee and Local Advertising
$800
$800
Training
Expenses
$500
$5,000
Utility
Costs and Deposits
$1,000
$1,600
Architect
and Attorney Fees
$2,500
$15,000
Additional
Funds (3 months)
$25,000
$40,000
Total
Investment
$193,400
$374,400
On-going
Expenses Rita’s
Italian Ice Franchise Partners pay a royalty fee equal to 6.5% of estimated and/or
gross sales, an advertising fee equal to 2.5% of estimated and/or gross sales
and minimum weekly advertising expenditures equal to 2% of gross sales.
What You Get -- Training and Support Training takes place at Rita's Cool University in Bensalem, PA where Franchise Partners learn how to successfully operate their store through a series of intensive workshops. A dedicated team of Rita's Education Specialists teaches Franchise Partners how to make Rita's famous treats, as well as how to uphold company standards, train staff and other essential operating procedures. Following this, Franchise Partners train at specially designated Rita's locations, working alongside seasoned franchise partners to gain hands-on experience in a store environment.
Rita's assists with every step of store setup, staff development and grand opening marketing. Following store opening, Franchise Partners have access to support via the "Cool Support Center," Rita's corporate headquarters, home to 80 staff members dedicated to supporting Franchise Partners, ensuring the best quality products and building the Rita's brand. Rita's online support website, the "CoolNet," provides Franchise Partners easy access to all resources and information that a Franchise Partner needs to operate their Rita's Store. Franchise Partners continue to benefit from one-on-one field support and ongoing local marketing support throughout their relationship with Rita's.
Territory Rita's Italian Ice grants exclusive territories.
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