Fast Casual Nation

Scaling sweet success: How Rita’s Italian Ice navigates franchise growth

When Lawrence Brown, Chief Development Officer at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, joined Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler on Fast Casual Nation, he brought a perspective that only comes from 15 years of navigating franchising at the highest levels and leading growth strategy for one of the country’s most beloved specialty dessert brands.

February 19, 2026

When Lawrence Brown, cief development officer at Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, joined Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler on Fast Casual Nation, he brought the kind of perspective that only comes from 15 years of navigating franchising at the highest levels — from Burger King and Restaurant Brands International to Procter & Gamble's Tide Cleaners, and now leading growth strategy for one of the country's most beloved specialty dessert brands. With 605 units and a target of 45 openings in 2025, Rita's isn't just surviving the competitive frozen treat space — it's accelerating.

At the heart of Rita's franchise model is a concept Brown calls its "Super Bowl event:" the first day of spring. Every Rita's location aims to be open by March 1 and the brand draws customers in with a free cup of Italian ice — rain or shine.

"Put it in their mouth and they're hooked," Brown said. It's a masterclass in scarcity psychology, creating the kind of anticipation that brands like Starbucks have perfected with seasonal offerings. The emotional pull of that first spring visit isn't just nostalgia — it's a calculated brand strategy that drives awareness, word-of-mouth, and loyalty before the peak season even begins.

One of the more interesting operational pivots Brown discussed is the role drive-throughs are playing in extending Rita's historically seasonal footprint. Traditional walk-up shops follow the weather, but drive-through locations in markets like Cleveland are now staying open 11 to 12 months a year — a 30% revenue uplift compared to standard units. That shift in real estate strategy is also reshaping how franchisees think about staffing. Rita's leans heavily into a "treat team" of high school and college students whose availability naturally aligns with peak afternoon hours, weekends, and summers — a scheduling harmony that many QSR operators would envy.

For prospective franchisees, the unit economics are increasingly compelling. Rita's recently released COGS data in its FDD for the first time, revealing an average cost of goods below 18% — a figure that stands out in today's margin-pressured environment. Top-performing locations are approaching $600,000 in annual revenue, and the brand's 33 drive-through units are averaging over $500,000. Entry costs range from roughly $300,000 for a leased walk-up shop to just under $900,000 for a ground-up build with a drive-through, with minimum financial requirements of $150,000 liquid and $400,000 net worth. Brown was direct about what makes the ideal franchisee: passion for the brand, management capability, and the capital to execute.

Beyond the storefront, Brown emphasized that community integration is arguably Rita's most powerful growth tool. Franchisees are encouraged to get into schools, sports leagues and religious institutions — offering free samples, partnering on charity events like "celebrity scooper" nights where teachers serve guests — as a way to build brand equity in new markets. The brand's food truck program, which requires a brick-and-mortar foundation before launch, extends that reach further. And with a proprietary mobile app built in 2020 that routes orders directly to franchisees as first-party data, Rita's has quietly built an infrastructure that protects both brand relationships and franchisee margins.

The conversation also touched on the broader frozen treat landscape, with Brown noting that Rita's strategic growth focus remains anchored in its Mid-Atlantic core while expanding into high-growth Southeast markets like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas — regions where longer warm seasons and population growth create a natural tailwind. With a matcha launch on the horizon, sweet-and-spicy flavor innovations in development, and stadium presences at venues like the Washington Commanders' home field, Rita's is clearly thinking beyond the cup. As Brown put it when asked to describe the state of the frozen treat industry in one word: thriving.