Signs Of Spring: Rita's Reopens Franchises In Lower Bucks

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Forget the groundhog. The way to tell if spring is arriving is when Rita's Italian Ice locations begin to open.

While Spring Training has started for Major League Baseball this week, another rite of spring is Rita's Italian ices. Throughout the region, these symbols of spring and summer have gotten an early jump on the season.

"Spring can’t come soon enough for me. I’m done with the snow and cold," Kelley Polizzi told Patch Thursday morning as she prepared to open one of the three Lower Bucks County Rita's Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard she operates.

Polizzi enters her second season running the Richboro Rita's, which opens Thursday.

The two other locations the Levittown resident operates for owner Ken Ott are in Bensalem Township and Langhorne. The Langhorne location opened on Feb. 1 while the Bensalem business opened on Feb. 9.

Meanwhile, the Rita's location on Route 611 in Warrington also recently opened.

"The past weekend was actually really good at Rita’s with the warmer temperatures," she said.

Polizzi has also brought in Nina Bennett to serve as general manager of her three stores. Rita's is also hiring help for the season.

The Bensalem Township-based Rita's bills itself as a "one-of-a-kind, delightfully different treat experience," offering Italian (water) ice, custard, ice cream sandwiches, soft pretzels, and other sweet treats at more than 600 locations in 31 states.

Last year, the company expanded with 40 new stores and also opened in three new states.

Rita's Franchise Company, LLC, is a privately owned and operated chain that was founded in Bensalem Township in May 1984 by Bob Tumolo.