By Rebecca Tobin Schrader

Customers Allison, Grace, and Joy Patterson enjoy a tasty treat at Rita's

When we’re kids, we dream about what we want to do when we grow up. At some point, owning a frozen dessert store probably tops the list. For Rita’s owners Jerry Orr and Daryl and Cindy Hancock, that dream has become a reality, and while the job doesn’t entail eating your product all day every day, there is still a lot of fun to be had.

Jerry Orr owns the Crofton Rita’s on Defense Highway, which is now open for its ninth season. (He opened the Bowie Rita’s on Superior Lane last August.) After 20 years in corporate management, he was ready for a change of pace. He came across Rita’s at a franchise expo in Washington, DC, and decided to dig deeper. He was mostly attracted by the idea of something different. “Rita’s is the standard in Italian ice,” he says, “it was pretty new at the time.”  He also liked the fact that Rita’s product is pretty healthy for a dessert, all the Italian ices are fat- and cholesterol-free.

Daryl and Cindy Hancock, who own the Odenton Rita’s on Odenton Road, had both reached a milestone birthday, and were trying to decide what they wanted to do in the next chapter of their lives. They were regulars at Orr’s Crofton store, and loved the product. That, combined with the fact that a business like Rita’s offered them the opportunity to be involved with the local community, led them to open their own store, now in its fifth season.

The Rita’s stores all quickly became favorite stops for locals. Both Hancock and Orr report that they have regulars, with many people stopping by two or three times a week.  “Some parents will use Rita’s treats as a reward for good schoolwork or behavior,” says Orr. “It’s fun to work somewhere that people are usually pretty happy to see you.”

Daryl adds that working at Rita’s is a first job for many of his employees. “We take that very seriously,” he says, “it’s an opportunity to help them understand the working world.”

Rita’s gives back to the community as well. The Odenton Rita’s will have their mascot in the GORC parade on April 28^th and a stand in GORC park that day with free Italian ice samples.  All three Rita’s participate in fundraising efforts for local schools and organizations, where a percentage of proceeds from a certain time period are donated to the group.

Rita’s has over 400 stores, mostly on the East Coast, and its product line has expanded as well. In addition to over 30 flavors of Italian ice, Rita’s also has cream ices, frozen custard and combination products. The Misto shakes are a mix of Italian ice and frozen custard, while Gelati has Italian ice and frozen custard in layers.  This season, there’s a new product called the Blendini: frozen custard blended with Italian ice and mixed with bits of Oreo or vanilla crème wafer cookies.

Yummm. Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. It’s time to starting making the run to the Rita’s nearest you.

You can reach Rita’s at 410-721-7752 (Crofton), 410-672-0900 (Odenton) or 301-464-9690 (Bowie).