Rita’s Ice sells Italian ice, custard, and other dessert creations. Former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo opened an Italian Ice stand in Bensalem, Pa. in 1984, and named it after his wife, Rita. By 1987 it was a three-store chain in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1996, the chain had grown to 100 stores, and it boasted 600 stores in 30 states as of 2018. It has one location outside the U.S., in Shenzhen, China.
A few of Rita’s confections include Water Ice, Chocolate, Vanilla or Twist Frozen Custard, Slenderita, a fat-free soft serve dessert, and Misto, a liquid custard combined with water ice, custard cookie sandwiches and custard cakes.
The restaurant also features milkshakes, in Oreo Chocolate, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Chocolate Heath, and a variety of other flavors.
This chain is one of the best food service establishments for young people (or retirees) to work part-time, as the company values personality and work ethic over a set list of requirements for non-management store jobs.
Here’s what you can expect when filling out a Rita’s application. The company has plenty of opportunities and is always expanding. They are actively seeking out new franchisees on their website.
General Employment Information
Every Rita’s franchise or company-owned store has its own website. Complete a
Rita’s application for the store location where you want to work either online or in-person at the store.
If you want to apply at another location, you need to go to that store’s website. Most stores have their own Facebook page so that you can check on job opportunities that way, too.
Many of the help-wanted ads from individual store websites have minimal requirements and only a contact email address, so there are no set requirements for any position, other than previous supervisory experience (for manager position) and a good work or school record (for Team Member positions.)
The company offers catering, a birthday club and other special services for customers. Employees are expected to promote these services to customers, but the marketing specifics may differ from store to store.
Management
A restaurant manager guides the servers and other workers to uphold Rita’s company image and provide the best customer service possible for patrons. A Rita’s general manager hires and schedules employees, makes sure the company adheres to food safety standards and handling procedures, and trains employees.
Store managers work about 45 to 50 hours a week, which includes night and weekends.
The pay for Rita’s managers is slightly less than for many other food service establishments. As with other restaurant/retail supervisory positions, you’ll need previous management experience, preferably in food service or restaurant environment, and excellent leadership and communication n skills.
An assistant store manager should be outgoing and have previous retail supervisory experience. Many locations will train the right person even if they don’t have previous managerial experience.
A Rita’s shift supervisor is responsible for directing employees on their particular shift. You must be 18 or over, and management experience is preferred. You must delegate tasks, help produce Rita’s ice, serve guests and oversee customer service and maintenance of machinery.
A shift supervisor position may lead to store management opportunities.
Cool University
Cool University provides a state-of-the-art training center for team managers and franchisees. It offers online training, intensive, in-person workshops and personalized guidance on all aspects of managing or owning a Rita’s Italian Ice store.
You will learn how to make all of Rita’s treats, and learn how to make your guests feel welcome and return to your restaurant time and time again. After graduation, you’ll have all the skills you’ll need to run a successful store.
Your designated training location will usually be in close vicinity to the store you manage. Cool University also doubles as Rita’s Research and Development Labs. You may get a first-hand look at how ice cream treats are conceived and perfected.
RecycleBank and Other Partners
Rita’s promotions make working at the store more interesting for team members and managers. Promotions and partnerships give employees something to look forward to while adding variety to work tasks.
Rita’s offers promotions with several organizations to provide important services to each store’s customers and communities. Recyclebank is one of those organizations. Rita’s and Recyclebank work together to encourage and reward customers for living a green lifestyle.
Rita’s guests earn points for conserving energy, purchasing environmentally safe products and recycling. Customers join RecycleBank and redeem points for a dollar off a five dollar purchase at Rita’s, or rewards from other retail stores.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a non-profit organization, is another group affiliated with Rita’s. This foundation was created in memory of Alexandra “Alex” Scott and works toward finding a cure for childhood cancer.
Rita’s set a goal of collecting $100,000 by selling paper lemons to customers for $1. Rita’s exceeded that goal and raised $525,000 in 2006, the first year the company partnered with ALSF. Rita’s raised more than $4.2 million for the charity between 2006 and 2016.
Corporate
Rita’s corporate headquarters are located in Trevose, Pennsylvania.
The position of Business Systems Analyst is part of the IT department. You will define the systems and data requirements for technical and business solutions for Rita’s stores. You’ll document consumer and end-user journeys.
Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Management Information Systems or a related field. You should also have one to three years of data modeling, IT Business Analysis or related experience.
Prior work with MS-SQL, SDLC methods and practices, and IT systems design, configuration, and deployment is preferred.
The Construction Manager helps plan and execute the building, remodeling, and relocation of the company’s stores. Job duties include directing contractors and franchisees through the construction process and updating design specifications.
You must have a four-year college degree and five years of construction management project experience to be considered for the construction manager position.
College students can receive a paid internship in certain business areas, at the company headquarters or other designated location. You must work a 40 hour per week minimum, and you’ll be assigned to a specific department. As long as you’re skilled with Word and Excel, you can apply for these positions.
Submit a cover letter, resume on the company’s main website and include information about your major and availability.
Check the company’s website for corporate positions as they change from time to time. You may also want to contact their company headquarters directly or talk to a recruiter in the restaurant or retail field.
Restaurant Positions
Rita’s Ice always has job openings for servers, cashiers and treat preparers. You’ll need to be personable, enthusiastic and be able to carry large buckets of ice to make Italian ices.
Treat Team Members serve guests, engage with them and offer free samples to customers. Team members also keep the store clean and well-organized, stock supplies, clean equipment and the guest area, or any other tasks as directed by the manager or shift supervisor.
Some stores hire people specifically as cashiers, marketers or treat makers, while other stores want their team members to participate in all types of in-store tasks. Since Rita’s is a treat/Italian ice store, it is busy in the summer and during certain local events and may be quiet at other times of the year.
If you are looking for a relatively calm job, a position at Rita’s may be for you. You’ll spend quite a bit of downtime cleaning and organizing the store during the slow season.
A Treat Team Product Maker makes ices and transports them to customers. You need a driver’s license and two years of driving experience for this job. Ice makers should be 18 or over, know how to follow recipes, operate basic machinery, and be able to lift 20 pounds. The job also requires a flexible schedule.
Some stores hire Ice Makers/Drivers to prepare treats and deliver them to offices and other locations. Rita’s offers catering at some locations, so applicants with reliable transportation and a clean driving record can make a side income delivering treats for parties and special occasions.
Closers need to check their deposits for the day (or night) and make sure the restaurant is clean and organized for the next shift.
What the Employees Say
Rita’s employees say the company is a great place for teens to get work experience. Some Indeed.com commenters say that their stores have a fun, supportive atmosphere, while others say they are overworked and get few benefits. Overall, the reviews for Rita’s are positive regarding the work atmosphere for team members.
As a summer job or first job for teens, Rita’s gets high marks. You will learn how to work with others in a retail/food service environment, and most customers are pretty friendly.
Some managers complain that they get little time off and aren’t paid what they deserve, but this may be largely dependent on the location/franchisee.
Complete a Rita’s application if you’re a teen looking for a first job, or if you need some extra cash on the side. Rita’s is a fun place to work, according to most employees and reviewers, and it offers great promotions to keep customers coming back and engage employees.